Bitter cup of sorrow

Reflections on Matthew 20.20-28

"Can you drink from this bitter cup?" Christ asks James and John, sons of Zebedee.

"Yes," they reply. Christ Jesus in turn responds, "Yes, indeed you will."

Christ drank deeply from the bitter cup of sorrow, as did his disciples and believers through the centuries. Jesus drank deeply from the cup of sorrow; in doing so, Christ tasted what it is to be human -- to taste fear, despair, discouragement, betrayal, isolation, discrimination, abandonment, and death. Christ took all this, drank,and turned these bitter grapes into the sweet wine resurrection, hope, new life, and solidarity.

As is stands right now, I can hold the bitter cup of sorrow, but can only sip it lightly before I pass it back. In my work as associate night minister, I pass by several cups of sorrow each night. Sometimes the cups are held out to me to drink from as well; other cups are spilt all over the ground; and yet other cups are clutched so tightly out of mistrust so as not to be shared.

As I grow into my position as a night minister, I know part of my role is to commune with those on the streets and drink from each cup of sorrow as it is presented to me. At first I would merely sip just enough from a cup of sorrow to just enough to wet my lips with the taste of a particular brand of sorrow, and then quickly hand the cup back. Slowly, over the weeks, I have begun to linger a bit more, to saunter. Instead of sipping sorrow and passing the cup back, I am learning to hold the cup longer, sip, and at least sniff the aroma of bitterness.

Such is where I am as I grow into my role as a night minister. I think at least the other night I was able to help squeeze out at least one drop of the sweet wine of Christ's hope.