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Dear friends,
I greet you this Holy Week clinging to the hope of Resurrection while death and destruction weigh heavily on my mind. Lately, I’ve been remembering Jesus’ promise: “My peace I give you, not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” But the truth is I am both troubled and afraid.
Bombs continue to fall in the Middle East. The war with Iran has led to missile attacks in 16 countries and a global oil crisis caused by a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. This aggression has diverted attention from other international hot spots and distracted us from the atrocities in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
Gaza remains a wasteland, with nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced, more than 70,000 killed, and masses facing starvation and disease. In the war between Russia and Ukraine, nearly 2 million soldiers and civilians have been injured or killed or are missing. The three-year civil war in Sudan has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with 15 million people displaced and an estimated 150,000 Sudanese killed.
Holy Week invites us not only into the suffering of Jesus, but also into the agony of all who cry out in pain. I typically read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ last days, recalling the prayer at Gethsemane, his arrest, betrayal, trial, crucifixion and burial. The death of Jesus was an act of solidarity and a sharing in humanity’s deepest pain.
Of course, the celebration of the risen Christ gives us hope, but it also calls upon us to proclaim the values and model the teachings of Jesus. It’s impossible for me to imagine Jesus taking a wrecking ball to the world. Instead, he would demand diplomacy wherever possible and stand against unchecked authoritarianism. He would reject the use of military force against innocent immigrants in our own country, and he would protest the use of missiles around the world in the absence of clear, imminent threats.
Despite the troubles and tragedies of our time Jesus left us this promise: “I will be with you always, until the end of the age.” That promise is my hope and strength.
Easter brings new life, springtime and healing. It’s about pursuing a better way, a more just future and deeper spiritual journey. Love is at the heart of the Resurrection. A love that seeks peace, not violence. A love that invites reconciliation, not retribution. A love that refuses to spew hate and instead chooses to spawn goodness.
I wish you a blessed Holy Week and a joyful Easter.
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