Easter is the most important holiday in the Christian faith because it is the day when Jesus defeated death, resisted the oppressive forces of Empire, and proved God’s reign by returning to bodily life.  But a significant part of the story that we don’t always think about is the importance of Jesus revealing himself to Mary Magdalene. It is especially interesting because the risen Christ didn’t actually need a messenger. He could have gone directly to his disciples from the g

This is holy Saturday. It would be easier (at first) to avoid the pain of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and move on quickly to the celebration of Easter Sunday. But one thing I know, as a chaplain and a griever, is that we cannot avoid difficult feelings or skip the grief. Today, we remember that the disciples put their friend in the ground after watching him die an awful death. We remember that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary vigil with Jesus through the unfolding trauma

Psalm 22 does not begin with calm faith but with a cry that is familiar and echoes through the ages: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These powerful words express a deep sense of grief that can leave us feeling confused, isolated, and overwhelmed. On Good Friday, Jesus embraces this Psalm as his own, connecting with everyone whose pain has ever felt like abandonment, reminding us that we are never truly alone in our struggles. I have often found myself crying out i

We are in what is called the Holy Triduum (Three Days) as Lent ends, while many have fasted, prayed, meditated, and come into a closer relationship with God, and we are in the final stretch. Today is called Maudy Thursday or Holy Thursday, depending on your tradition. Growing up and into my adulthood, Holy Thursday was always one of my favorite days during Holy Week. I was always fascinated by John 13 coming to life as I witnessed my Pastor walk around with a towel on his arm

I remember running my first 10K years ago in Los Angeles’ Chinatown with a close friend. I hadn’t trained as much as I should have, but I felt good about finishing the race. My friend had been very consistent with her training schedule, running several times every week. At the start, she insisted on staying with me and running at my pace, but I encouraged her to go ahead and run her best race.  As I ran on my own, something clicked: I needed to run my own race at my own pace.

This may be a funny thing to admit as a chaplain, but I feel a little embarrassed about being a person of faith. When people ask what I do for a job, I tell them, but I feel like I immediately have to qualify what I do. I feel like I have to point and say, “I’m not like them.” (Also, you wouldn’t believe how many people will immediately find a reason to swear after I tell them what I do.) Also, a lot of my job involves explaining to people that we don’t have to limit ourselve

Music has long been a key venue where I meet with God. Learning His character, praising His name, and praying in the night are light and joy

Being sure is a valley—lonely, heavy, isolating. Being human is a balance—holding emotions and perspectives in tension. Imagine listening t

Our readings from Psalms and Lamentations today speak from a place of suffering. Of grief. Of distress. Of terror. From the depths of despair. The writer of the Psalm hopes for God’s deliverance and favor for themselves. The writer of the Lamentation asks for payback, curses, and destruction for their enemies.  That sounds familiar. Relief from troubles. Retribution for grievances. Vengeance for the violence committed. And if I’m honest, yes, I’ll have what they’re having, pl

The words of Job 13:13-19 are directed to Job's well-intentioned, but painfully misguided friends. As they attempt to console Job in his grief and desolation, they try to diagnose him. They are convinced that they know the cause of his suffering and what he can do to fix it.  A little earlier in the chapter, after enduring their speeches and assumptions and a barrage of unsolicited advice, an exasperated Job lets them have it– he says, “You are worthless physicians, all of yo

Philippians 1:3-11 This section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians has long been a favorite of mine. A phrase of it was written in a note of encouragement given to me upon my college graduation by my mentor: “Being confident of this, that the One who began a good work in you will continue.” Later, as I discovered the rest of the passage, it became a prayer over my students in my youth ministry. I quoted it so often that a group of students gave me a Christmas Ornament with t

As I read Jeremiah 32:36-41, three things stood out to me: God’s redemption, promise, and faithfulness.  All three can be found in the story of Israel, but they can also be found in our story. 

Zombie Apocalypse and the Reviving: A Reflection on Ephesians 2:1-10 A few years ago, I was teaching Romeo and Juliet to a 9th-grade English class. To give our unit some contemporary relevance, I assigned my students a choice of ancillary texts, including young-adult adaptations of Shakespeare’s 400-year-old classic. Of these spins, the most unique was Warm Bodies* by Isaac Marion. The book is narrated by R, a zombie who falls in love with a human named Julie.

I started 2026 with the intention of establishing a Bible study ritual in my daily routine. I had recently left my corporate job and was about to turn 40, so the beginning of a new year felt like the right time to establish a routine that would structure my morning the “right” way. This was a grand plan, and the thought of a daily bible study felt daunting–where to start, what to read, how much time do I need to set aside in my day to be perfect in this practice? I tackled th

A Reflection for The Fifth Sunday of Lent by Aisha Cox Lectionary reading for 03/22/2026: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45 Selected passage for reflection:  Ezekiel 37:1-14 Read Ezekiel 37:1-14 NLT The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 T

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!  The depths are real—life is deeply beautiful and deeply distressing. Sometimes we don’t have it all together. In these moments, it is tempting to mask our own situation or, when someone else is in the depths, to try to fix their situation. When facing the depths, I’m learning to pause. To let the depths be what they are. I try not to jump quickly to fixin

The apostle John does his best in this Scripture to give us a glimpse into the awe-inspiring moment when heavenly voices thunder out, “The k

There’s nothing like an emergency room or a critical care unit in a hospital to give a person a kind of perspective, a window into suffering and pain, on all different levels. In the depths. Overwhelmed by the chaotic waters. It’s real. It hits home. This is where some people are regularly at, more often than any of us would like to admit. When we read Psalm 130, we aren’t sure whether it’s the depths of sorrow or grief, or the depths of emotional frustration or psychological

Psalm 146 is a song of reorientation and an invitation to trust not in ever-changing powers, disappointing plans, or those who cannot save, but in the living God who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146 gently warns us: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.” During Lent, we are asked to consider what we rely on for security, whether it be our routines, achievements, illusion of control, or even the approval or advice of others. These “princes

How many of us can say that if we were imprisoned, we would be inspired to write to fellow Christians with encouragement and love? It may seem hard to grasp, but for Paul, it was second nature. While imprisoned, Paul pens this letter, encouraging the church in Colossae to keep their eyes on Jesus and to keep following the righteous path. How? Paul offers them a simple solution: bear good fruit, be strengthened through God’s power, have patience in God’s timing, and give thank