"He went out and wept bitterly." Holding gently our shame.

Plum trees in our neighborhood in Berlin. (c) AF

Dear Pilgrim,

Walking the Berlin boulevard yesterday in front of our monastery, I looked down the street and saw bright green on some of the trees, obscuring the buildings behind them. Despite the cold winds coursing through the courtyard of the monastery and down the streets, slowly it becomes warmer. When I wake early in the morning now, I can see the beginnings of light in the windows. It seems Spring has arrived. And with it some vestiges of hope.

We even see it in the readings during prayer times. Even the psalms of lament have anchors of hope in them. Psalm 22, that Jesus quotes on the cross (why have you forsaken me), also has this: “He has not turned his face, but has listened to our cry.”

Balancing sorrow and hope

Today’s offering of Bach has also this balance of sorrow and hope. It walks with Peter through his courage, betrayal, and desolation at the cock crow. Have patience, please, as we make this journey today. The music is hea…