Jesus of the Scars

When skies grow dark and all we see are shadows
The road too rough, the mountains rise too far
When pain runs deep, and wounds cry out for answers
We come to you, O Jesus of the Scars
What other god chose to be born in weakness
Knew toil and tears and felt our deepest woe?
Then to a cross, to bear our sin and sorrow
And so, we worship you O Jesus of the scars

I love stories of love, courage and bravery, of kindness, hope and positivity that have happy endings. I’m an optimist and look for the good in people.

I love this recent Graham Kendrick song because it talks about the realities of life – of sorrow, pain and tears, of shadows, heaviness and scars.

When nights are long, and daylight weighs so heavy
Where can we go to ease the troubled mind
The Man of grief once crushed in dark Gethsemane
Says ‘do not fear’ I’ll take you by the hand
Our wounds cry out but yours will have the final word
And in your scars, we glimpse our story’s end
O glorious Day – death swallowed up in victory
For this we worship you O Jesus of the scars

Churches today will talk of love, joy and peace, of a God of healing, strength and certain hope. It’s an attractive gospel.

The path that Jesus trod was one of grief, loneliness and suffering. It led through darkness to light, through despair to hope, through death to life. Today I remember and trust the Jesus of the scars.

When all is healed, and every might-have-been will be
And every sad, sad story comes untrue
When heaven’s love floods back through time and history
And all things lost and broken are made new
When clouds are gone, and earth’s illusions disappear
When faith is sight and hope reality
We’ll see your face and nothing else will matter
And there we’ll worship you O Jesus of the scars