Is There Any Sorrow Like My Sorrow?

Crucifixion, Robert Mallary, 1962. Black polyester and cloth fabric, 266.1 × 174 × 44.5 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, Texas.

“Man of Sorrows” from the album The Narrow Way by Steffany Gretzinger and Mitch Wong.

Poetry:

“Goya’s Fighting Men Mired with Cudgels”
by Vijay Seshadri

The violence done to the mind by the weaponized
word or image is bad.
We can live with it, though
We can understand it. Or we can try. And we
can consider ourselves lucky, which we are.
Nothing can be understood
about the blunt-force trauma to the head.
The percussion grenade.
The helmet-to-helmet hit at an aggregate speed
of forty miles an hour.
No concussion protocol comprehends the self’s
delicate apparatus crumpled in the wide pan of the brain.
The roof collapsing in Aleppo.
The beam slamming the frontal lobe.
The drone, the terror by night and day.
He wanted to remember it all,
to fix the image cradled inside the image
of itself, itself, itself
down the facing mirrors of future and past,
and then he wanted to be left to die there,
in the ditch where he was cudgeled
down and under—
ground water seeping into his mouth,
himself becoming ground water.
But he felt a hand reach down and grab him
by the collar and yank him back up
and set him on his feet.
And as he steadied himself, he thought,
This compassion he feels for me as his
mirror enemy, image, brother in wrath,
and that I feel for him,
this compassion is the compassion that those
who see themselves in agony feel.
But there is the other compassion, the one
felt by those who see agony in themselves,
which the deaf master will feel
when he imagines us poised and ready to recapitulate
our thinking’s frozen violence—
the great deaf master,
living in the villa of the deaf,
where he will paint us in silent pastels.

IS THERE ANY SORROW LIKE MY SORROW?

In life, there are tragedies for which there is no explanation and seasons where grief feels like a weight that is too much to carry. Whether through heartbreak or loss, we may experience pain that shakes us to our core. In these most difficult seasons, we must remember that Jesus, a man acquainted with sorrows, will never forsake us. He is present with us in our darkest hours—even when we feel most alone.

In Lamentations, the prophet cries out in a seemingly upside-down world. He sees no reprieve or justice, declaring: "The comforter, who should restore my life, is far from me" (Lamentations 1:16). This cry reflects the deep loneliness that often accompanies suffering. Yet, we have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses and who was tested as we are.

The poem "Goya's Fighting Men Mired with Cudgels" captures the reality of life in a fallen world through images of war. Yet, at the very moment when defeat seems inevitable, a hand reaches down, lifts up the broken, and sets him on his feet. This is the image of Christ, our rescuer, the One who enters into our suffering and pulls us from its depths (Psalm 40:2). This image is powerful because it captures the reality that Jesus does not watch our pain from a distance; He steps into it. He knows the full weight of human sorrow and meets us in our sorrow (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Our intimacy with our Creator grows as we trust in God in the most difficult seasons of life. In suffering, we practice unwavering faith, develop a complete dependence on God, and learn to surrender our will to His. Suffering refines us, just as fire purifies gold (1 Peter 1:6-7). We are transformed to reflect Christ more fully.

Therefore, let us not forget that we do not suffer without hope. Our God will never forsake us! No matter what trials we may walk through or what adversity we may face, Jesus is the lover of our souls. He draws near to those who are crushed in spirit, binding up the broken-hearted. He is faithful, and He has already achieved victory over death itself. The cross was not the end of His story, and suffering is not the end of ours.

One day, He will wipe away every tear. Until then, we stand firm in the knowledge that The Man of Sorrows, Jesus, walks with us and loves us beyond measure.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help us trust you no matter our circumstances. May your Holy Spirit empower us to reflect your love even amid our deepest pain as we learn to be more like you. Teach us to walk as Jesus walked, to love as He loved, and to find peace in Your presence. Thank You for being our refuge and our hope. We praise You, not only for the victories but also the valleys, knowing that You work out all things for our good.
Amen.

Erica Curtis
Adjunct Professor
English Department
Biola University