In the lectionary for Wednesday of Holy Week, we read about Jesus being betrayed by Judas. “And it was night.” But the writer of John’s gospel also tells us, “Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified…”” It’s hard to see ‘glory’ in such a time, just as it’s hard to see glory in the deeds of darkness and times of suffering reflected in the News.
Present-day brutality and suffering don’t seem glorious to me. The Gospel is about a particular person at a unique time in history, though … Jesus, who can offer us a different way to conduct our lives.
The word ‘betray’ might well have been appropriate then. But for our age, it rings alarm bells with me. The language of betrayal is used too often by despotic narcissists who believe, “l’état, c’est moi.”
Also, actual nights can be glorious. The night sky, the sounds of night creatures – these are things to celebrate.