Broken humanity. It is everywhere. We all experience it. Yet some of us have been spared the worst atrocities of human suffering while others haven’t had the choice.
Being surrounded by so much brokenness has given me a new perspective on the cross. Jesus walked a difficult dark path towards that final sacrifice – the pain he bore was more than endless lashings and insults – he took the pain of all humanity. And yet he knew it was worth it for the sake of the world. This pivotal moment of anguish culminated in the ultimate cry of pain – the pain of abandonment. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
We all know what it’s like to feel rejected or abandoned. To have someone you love leave you or hurt you is a pain that is hard to bear. The women here certainly know rejection and the pain of feeling so alone.
And Jesus knew. He knew what it was to feel abandonment. He knew what it was like to have his Father leave him. Where is God in this world of pain? He is suffering alongside each one – at the cross.
And that same cross also symbolises life - the promise of life free from suffering. “Those whom the Lord has rescued will travel home… They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief. “ (Isaiah 35:9,10).
Forever free.
