Encounter grace in the cross and the empty tomb this Holy Week
Guest Commentary by the Rev. Heather VanDeventer | St. John’s Cathedral
Christians are in the midst of Holy Week, the solemn week when we walk with Jesus and the disciples through the events of the last week leading to the cross and then to the empty tomb. It is a week full of highs and lows — just as Palm and Passion Sunday has the highs of the crowd at a great parade and the lows of the cries of the mob. It is a week when the church invites you to give extra time to God. For some, that happens by attending worship services every day of the week.
For some, that happens by reading the Bible and particularly the last chapters of any of the Gospel accounts. For some, that happens by taking time at home in a quiet spot or in nature for contemplation on the ways of the world and the ways of God. For some, that happens in a “pray as you go” manner due to the realities of work, school and responsibilities that do not recognize this holiest of weeks for Christians (nor the holy days for our Jewish siblings, who began the Passover Saturday, April 12, at sundown).
Some find it hard to walk with Jesus in his sufferings. I understand that and often find that walk hard. That’s a part of why I focus so much on preaching and talking about God’s grace. But suffering is also a part of human life and creation — from the early skinned knees to the grief of accompanying a dying loved one.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose feast day is April 9, wrote the sentences below in a letter to a friend between 1940-1945. What Bonhoeffer writes is not easy, but it is powerful:
“It is good to learn early on that suffering and God are no contradiction, but more of a necessary unity: for me the idea that God himself suffered was always one of the most convincing teachings of Christianity. I think that God is closer to suffering than to happiness and to find God in this manner gives peace and rest, and a strong and courageous heart.”
Elsewhere Bonhoeffer writes:
“God’s love for humans is called the cross and imitation, but precisely therein is life and resurrection.”
(As translated in “The Mystery of Easter,” Crossroads Publishing, 1997)
There are many right ways to observe Holy Week and to walk with Jesus. I invite you to be intentional and make a plan for how you will observe the rest of Holy Week, each and every day. And I encourage you to join in worship as part of those plans and to invite a friend or neighbor to join you.
In Christ’s Peace,
Dean Heather
The Very Rev. Heather VanDeventer has served as Dean of the Cathedral since August 2018.
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
