Lent Journeyنموونە

DAY 25
All shall be well

In my darkest times, I have heard these words: ‘This too shall pass.’ That is not always what I want to hear, yet there is powerful therapeutic value in those words. Likewise there are other words that had a great impact on my life during dark times – words that I repeated to myself that strengthened me.

Julian of Norwich says: All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
Jesus’ words on the cross remind me of the dark times in my life when the rug is pulled out from under me and it feels as if God is not there: ‘Eloï, Eloï, lama sabagtáni.’ These are also the words of David in Psalm 22, but here on the cross in Jesus’ mother tongue, Aramaic. ‘My God, my God, why did you forsake me?’

Could it be that God deserted Jesus? To David it surely was only a feeling of abandonment in his dark time? Deep in his heart he must have known that God was still with Him – he says this in his other songs.

But in Jesus’ case it is so different! God did deserted Him and for a Godly reason
– his life task brought Him to this final place of abandonment. He descended to the severity of the dark hell – God forsakenness – and in his unique, unstoppable calling He took the sins of the world, mine, on Himself.

It is striking how the Psalm from which these words come, ends with praise – so different from what Jesus experienced on the cross. But it is also not the last word spoken on the cross. The following words on the cross are not ‘My God’ any more. Once again Jesus calls Him his Father – Jesus is holding on.

I want to follow. I will hold on. After what He did for me, I would rather say: ‘My God, my God, why did you accept me?’

It is only a feeling that I am alone and it too shall pass. God is with me. I am in the beginning of Psalm 22: the praise is coming!
And Psalm 23 lies ahead: ‘… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me… ‘

All shall be well . . .

EXERCISE
• Today you are invited to practice silent prayer* for 10 minutes. Silent prayer is to simply rest in God’s presence.
• When your thoughts start to wander, simply return to your intention to be with God by repeating these words: ‘All shall be well’.