“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”When he had said this, he breathed his last.” Luke 23:44-46
Jesus’ death rippled the skies. The source of light refused to shine, as if darkness loitered to overcome it. Maybe nature felt the great sadness for our Creator’s Beloved. It’s like the sun discerned that bearing heavy grief resists beauty, and it had no choice but to hide its life-giving rays for a time.
Waiting in the tension of remembering the crucifixion and knowing that the Lord lives, the sun returns, does not minimize our Savior suffering. The complete sorrow we unintentionally experience changes us. Emotions like shock, regret, fear, confusion and helplessness broaden our ability to endure, be brave and cultivate compassion.
So today, if the sun rejects it job to shine and your best friend died, let the grief linger. It’s not your job to escape. Jesus promises to heal the brokenhearted - for us, and our desire to share that beauty.
