My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22: 1)

Today many Christian churches recall the death of Jesus. The gospels of Mark and Matthew report that shortly before dying Jesus quoted the line above. According to these gospels he said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama samachthani?

The twenty-second psalm is full of despair.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

But the psalm also expresses confidence in the love of God.

You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.

Through our free choosing and the free choice of others trouble - even evil - will come upon us. But we are never alone. God is here and God hears.

I perceive that other choices were available on the first Good Friday. The chief priests might have chosen differently, Pilate might have chosen differently, Jesus might have chosen differently. But confronted with the choice of others, Jesus chose to be consistent with his purpose and faithful to his relationship with God.

We are often confronted with similar choices. I do not always make the choice of Jesus. Too often I fail to even recognize that I am choosing.

Above is Resurrection by Marc Chagall.