Imagine a bride dressed in white, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and her groom’s arm in the other. He is one step ahead of her, leading her through the darkness, down the path of true love, and she is following him, one step at a time, with great trust. As the image comes into focus, however, we can see, in shocking detail, that the bride’s neck is, in fact, broken — her head quite literally dangling down — yet her face is full of peace, as her beloved, Christ himself, draws her more deeply into the unknown. Though macabre, this legendary medieval religious icon brilliantly captures the essence of our salvation. Jesus knows that our egos must be broken open for his grace to enter. So, he puts out his hand and invites us into the most awful and terrifying circumstances imaginable. As we walk with him — our hearts open to the risk of it all — the pressure mounts and gradually crushes all of our ideas about and perceptions of life. We simply learn to move forward in faith and rejoice. And while this process of personal transformation can be a real “pain in the neck,” it is truly a small price to pay for eternal life. Ave Crux, Spes Unica.
