Walking Toward What We Can't See

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

We arrive at Holy Week having learned to walk in darkness, and now we watch Jesus enter the darkest week of all. Following Jesus sometimes means walking toward more conflict, not less, choosing costly discipleship over easy answers. The Palm Sunday crowd wanted a king who would make their lives easier; they got a savior who called them to take up crosses. Even the Jesus experienced the lights going out - the cross is God's solidarity with our darkest moments. Jesus becomes our ultimate fellow traveler who faced abandonment, state violence, institutional betrayal. This week we explore concrete ways to keep moving forward when we can't see outcomes, discovering hope that doesn't bypass suffering but walks through it. We find courage to choose love when hate seems to be winning, remembering that Easter is coming, but it's still Friday. Following Jesus means walking toward difficulty rather than around it, trusting that God's love is strong enough to hold us even in the darkness of Holy Week.