“I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because the LORD inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)
Today, Christians find ourselves in the midst of Holy Week. Positioned between Jesus’s humble entrance into Jerusalem and Christ’s triumphant resurrection, this week carries a range of emotions. To jump without pause from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, therefore, would be a disservice to anyone concerned with the well-being of Creation; as this denies humanity the opportunity to experience the array of Divinely-gifted emotions imparted on God’s children. On Palm Sunday, we experience excitement as we welcome Jesus in to our hearts like the people welcoming him in to Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday, we, like the disciples, are cast into uncertainty, anxious about the next day. Good Friday, we are met with sorrow and despair as we witness our Savior put to death before our eyes. We feel hopeless. But then, on Easter, we are surprised! What begins as disbelief turns to joy when we realize that Christ has risen and forever redeemed creation to the Creator. We can finally exclaim “Alleluia!” Adding to the emotional journey of this week, Passover begins on Friday. A Rabbi mentor of mine relayed a humbling story this morning. She shared that her grandmother, as a Jewish girl growing up in Poland, had to barricade herself in her house during Holy Week to avoid abuse from Christians. This historic reality is part of the emotional complexity of Holy Week. As persons of faith – and as members of humanity – we have a responsibility to acknowledge and honor these emotions to fully live in community with one another. Otherwise, hate wins. Holy Week, therefore, takes us on an emotional journey and gives us the grace to be fully present with our feelings. It models for us the richness and wisdom gleaned from permitting ourselves to sit in our emotions. As Easter and Passover draw nearer, let us take the time to check in with ourselves and others. Perhaps we are anticipating something, or our anxiety is crippling. Maybe we find ourselves in a period of uncertainty, or a state of hopelessness. Or, possibly, we are joyful and awed by the world around us. Whatever we’re feeling, Holy Week meets us where we are. But Holy Week does not leave us wallowing. Rather, the emotional journey ends with an eternal promise of Love. Thus, we can take heart in the fact that, as we acknowledge our God-breathed humanity, we are met with the embracing and supportive Love of the Divine. |