The cup of submission, of suffering, of death itself becomes the vessel not of our punishment or of God’s wrath, but of our salvation.

I was deeply moved by a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane and to the Church of All Nations that is accessible through the garden.

Whether we imbibed that living water at a religious summer camp, in a youth group or simply through the regular practice of attending church with family, we are blessed by the abiding, grounding presence of God, even when we drift away.

Although it doesn’t always seem so, waiting is an inherently hopeful activity.

Jesus understands what you’re going through, because he has gone through this himself. He understands you not only because he’s divine and knows all things but because he is human and experienced all things.

As we prepare to enter with Christ into the protracted pain and suffering of his passion and death, let us determine to reach beyond them towards the endless delight that awaits us the other side of the tomb: the delight of life with God.