The Courage to Behold
Monday in Holy Week
Reflection By Robbin Brent
The pain of the crucifixion did not begin on Good Friday. It had been there from the beginning, from the moment the Word became flesh. The pain was always there.
- Henri Nouwen
As we enter Holy Week, we face the stark reality of the suffering that lies ahead for Jesus. We know the devastating pain and humiliation that await him, and yet we are powerless to alleviate his anguish, just as we are often helpless to prevent the inevitable wounds in our own lives. We are asked to bear witness, to stay present to the events unfolding before us.
Amy Montanez’s reflection yesterday, “Look at Me,” reminds us of what happens when we behold one another in our woundedness. “I believe our best chance for healing comes when we allow others to see our scars, both visible and hidden,” she writes. “When we share the stories of our wounds and our efforts to heal, something within us softens.”
In my own life, I’ve discovered that the most profound healing comes when I am able to stay present to pain—my own and others’. When we dare to see and be seen in our brokenness, the walls that separate us crumble, and we catch a glimpse of our shared humanity in the eyes of another. Perhaps, in that space of connection, we also catch a glimpse of how God beholds us—already whole and beloved, just as we are.
Making It Personal: This Holy Week, how might you practice the art of staying present—to the journey of Jesus, to others, and to your own? What is the invitation for you this week to keep your heart open as you bear witness to each moment, even the painful ones? How might you practice beholding Jesus and others in their woundedness, trusting in the healing power of being seen?