“My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34 . Throughout the Gospels, Jesus always tells us to have faith, to trust, and believe. He says, “Do not be afraid” and questions us when we start questioning God. And yet here, Jesus shows no sign of faith or hope. It seems like these words are the exact opposite of the Jesus we had seen throughout His ministry. He directly addresses God, questioning God’s path and even accusing God of abandoning Him. This here shows the very essence of Jesus’ humanity. His doubts, His fears, His anger. All very real, all very human. And all very valid. If you have ever been disappointed or angry with God, you may have stopped yourself or held your tongue from expressing such feelings. Often those sayings that Jesus says about trust and believing will pop up in your head. But don’t be afraid in expressing your disbelief. The love and openness of our relationship with God means we are allowed to tell God when we feel abandoned and hopeless. We are allowed to feel this way. We are human. And if you choose to believe or remain angry at God, that is your choice. But know that God will listen, acknowledge, and validate how you feel.. . .
Fall gracefully all the way to the floor if you can. Faith is kind of like a safety net and there are times when those nets come undone. Bringing the arms up and over then all the way downward may also add a pleading motion, a gesture of a beggar. Sometimes in our desperation, we find ourselves begging, falling, pleading with God. Why? Why? I don’t have the answers as to why we suffer the way we do as humans, but I do know that God knows. God knows and sees it happening. And sometimes we are simply just asked to trust.
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