Advent Devotions

Today’s author is Prince of Peace Minister of Faith Formation and Community Engagement, Alyssa Herrig.

As I read through the text for this Holy Week, I gravitated several times to verse 18: “There they crucified him and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.” During this week of heaviness and sadness, verse 18 draws me in. Jesus sits in the middle of death with two others. His pain is our pain; his grief our grief. In the midst of his holiness-he endures the consequence of humanity. However, knowing that our pain is not permanent transforms our beliefs into the hope and promise that Jesus proclaimed through his words and actions.

I grieve the loss of my friends and hold deep sadness for their families. I think of the children left without their mothers and father. I know what lies ahead and am thankful they live in a community that will uphold them in love and grace. Another layer of my processing has been the death of my aunt in 2004, which was caused by an auto/train accident. I remember my exact location when I received the phone call. My life shifted in that moment, as did the following days and years with my cousins. I see how the absence of their mom has molded their lives.

As we have moved through the past 22 years without Irene, we have still experienced joy in our lives. She radiated joy and I see her in her daughters and son. I remember her laugh and sometimes still expect to see her name on a greeting card or for her to walk through the door when my family gathers. I have wondered if my imagination is my denial to accept death. However, I choose to believe that my thoughts of her are a testament to her soul, belief in the risen Christ, and her impact in the world.

I know my former Jackson youth are only beginning to live without those they loved. I am hopeful that our conversations and their faith will help them through all of the hills and valleys they will experience. Just like Jesus encountered Mary outside of the tomb, I hope they see their loved ones in their daily life, remembering that resurrection is real and Jesus holds them in their grief and pain.