A few photos, memories, and questions during Holy Week...

Two weekends ago, when I was away in the North Carolina mountains, the speaker said something that I jotted into my notebook.

"If God is with us, then nothing else matters.
If God is not with us, then nothing else matters."

The same is true of the story of Christ's death and resurrection and powerful presence in my life.
If the story is true, then nothing else matters.
But if the story is not true, then nothing else matters.

Considering the enormous difference that faith in God has made in my life,
the mountains I've been able to climb because of the power of faith,
the dark valleys I've been able to traverse because of the power of faith,
the stories and laughter I have shared with others on this journey,
the tears I have cried and the horrors I have survived with other travelers,
the prayers answered with a resounding "yes" and the ones denied with a spirit-crushing "no,"
the colossal mistakes I have made and have recovered from and been forgiven for,
the even more colossal mistakes I am planning to make -
and believe I will be forgiven for (did I just write that in a public space???) -

looking back at all that has happened and looking ahead to all that is yet to come
gazing upon all of it through the eyes of my oftentimes weak, questioning, doubt-riddled faith,

I tell myself over and over -
if the story of death and burial,
resurrection and renewal of life,
forgiveness and reconciliation,
if all of that is true -
and for God's sake, I sure hope it is -
then, in fact, nothing else matters.


Or perhaps everything matters even more...