A Journey Through Darkness Toward Hope

Each year as we enter Good Friday, I find myself in a period of reflection and peace walking into the annual Tenebrae Service. The Service of Shadows as it was called as I was growing up. A somber and reflective time filled with acoustic worship and quietly spoken scriptures ending with total darkness as the pews were emptied.

For most in our faith, today isn’t a day we look forward to but a day we “get through” in order to experience Sunday. And while Resurrection Sunday is a beautiful celebration of the pinnacle of our faith, I resonate with today.

For anyone familiar with darkness, with depression, with shadows, today parallels so much of life. A day draped in shadows and ending in darkness. A day that depression grabbed hold of so many hearts when they thought all was lost. Today broke people’s hearts and souls in the same way that it broke a Savior’s body. And those who have suffered from broken hearts and hope know there are times when physical brokenness is preferable.

But today is so much more beautiful for those that are familiar with being broken because today reminds us that brokenness will heal and that darkness will always be driven out by the light. Those shadows are living on borrowed time. Because after the darkness of Friday and the quiet of Saturday comes Sunday. And Sunday was the start of a whole new beginning. Sunday is the reminder that we can celebrate the dark because we can take hold of the light.

So today I hope we can all take a moment to pause and take note of our life. Where we are and where we need to be. Today you could be looking around in total darkness believing that nothing good will ever come to you again. You might think that this pit of darkness and shadows is the foundation of your life.

But I can tell you with certainty that even the darkest night ends with the most beautiful sunrise. Even the hardest Friday leads to the most joyous Sunday. Allow yourself to take a step in our journey no matter how dark it seems towards hope. After that first step, take another and another. Keep going. Keep breathing. Keep fighting. Because even when it doesn’t make sense. Even when it hurts the most. Sunday’s coming—which means that Friday doesn’t get to win.