My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
~ Psalm 22:1
Dear People of St. David’s,
As we move through Holy Week and enter Good Friday, we remember together Psalm 22 and Jesus’ cry from the cross (Matt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34), “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” or in English, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” I am reminded this Good Friday, that despair, forsakenness, depression, and hopelessness are significant moments of human existence and Jesus’ life. To be human is to experience these realities. If you are experiencing these in your life, you are not alone.
As I think about the way feelings of forsakenness take shape in human life, I think of many personal stories. I remember a cherished cousin who died of leukemia at a young age and all those I know amid a cancer journey. I think of a grandmother, and other elders, who have lived courageously with dementia. I think of those in my life who have faced significant mental health challenges. I think of the moments in my life, like the psalmist, that it felt as if God did not hear my cries or words of distress. In all these occasions the question has arisen, “where are you God?” These are only my own personal experiences. I think too of all the suffering I am touched by here at St. David’s and in my time as a chaplain at Lankenau Hospital. It is a holy reality to have others share their suffering and despair with me, and it also reminds me just how much suffering many of us carry.
In a world that can feel so much forsakenness, it gives me hope that we worship a God that is not remote or removed from this all too human feeling. Jesus is not distant from suffering, despair, and hopelessness. Jesus knew the human feeling of doubting whether God is really listening or if God really cares. In his crucifixion, Jesus takes forsakenness and despair into the depths of his heart and journeys with us through our suffering. As those who follow a crucified God, we at St. David’s are also a community that supports each other through times of pain, suffering, and hopelessness, reminding each other that God goes with us. We too can take each other’s suffering into our hearts and carry it together. If you feel forsaken by God–if you are experiencing suffering, despair, or hopelessness –you are not alone. Please continue journeying with this community. Together we might find that there is hope after all.
Blessings,
Elliot VanHoy
Pastoral Associate
Published on April 17, 2025
Image: “Cimabue after Disney” by The Rev. Dennis McNally, SJ as hung on the wall in the Rev. Rick Morley’s office.
