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What else do YOU see?

April 2, 2026

Exodus 12:1-14 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 | John 13:1-17, 31b-35 | Psalm 116:1, 10-17

This year, as I prepared for this blog entry for Maundy Thursday, I was struck by the fact that we repeat this exact observance of the day, year after year after year.  When I work with grieving family members who are reliving their loved one’s death on the anniversary date year after year, sometimes they ask for help how to get through it.  I ask them to tell me what they see when they look back at that day.  They often describe, and often with many tears, the excruciating details of their loved one’s death.  After I sit with them and their story for a while, I ask them, “what else do you see now that it’s 1, 2 or many years later?”  If they see a very similar picture, I’ll ask, “If you were to broaden your scope of vision so you’re not looking at the center of the scene before you, but you look at what’s in the margins, what else might you notice?  Who else was there behind the scenes?  – people making meals for you, cleaning your house, or calling other family members?  Was there someone who checked in with you daily or others who were praying?  The list of others involved can sometimes be quite long for these folks and many times they had forgotten this piece of the story, until I asked.  It is amazing to watch what happens when these forgotten players come back into view.

Since this is so helpful for my clients, I decided to ask myself the same questions regarding this portion of the journey for Jesus.  In my mind’s eye, I saw all the people who cared for Jesus and the disciples in the background … cooking, shopping, caring for other family members and even the person who made the space available for the Last Supper.  As I broadened my view some more, I could see those who sat through some of Jesus’ teachings and found their lives changed, then all the people who were healed by him and the huge changes that took place for them, those who looked into his eyes and even by that, found their lives changed.  I found myself going on and on and on – fueled by the stories I’ve read in the Gospels of the many ways Jesus changed lives while he lived among us. 

As I broadened the scenes of Maundy Thursday and the days following, I could see much more than just the center of those scenes where the excruciating pain resided.  Jesus’ effect on the world had stretched far and wide even before his death.  Now, 2000+ years later, the impact of God’s love beyond the borders of the central scenes of Maundy Thursday – Easter spreads far and wide around the world.  Being the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing his love with those around us, day in and day out, is all tied to the center of these scenes – beginning with the intimate gathering of the disciples with Jesus at the Last supper, the garden arrest and all the suffering that followed. 

I thought I was finished questioning myself, but then I was led to take it one step further.  I found myself looking at all the many worries in the world today – a new war, political factions growing, the un-homed population growing, rising costs of just about everything, cyber and AI issues seeming to get out of control, Mental Health needs skyrocketing, so many people I know with Cancer, Heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease … and so much more. 

Before I got into despair, though, I stopped myself and realized I needed to broaden my view of who else is in those scenes.  Who else is there? What else is going on?  Where is Jesus moving in and among us – to help us through, to change lives, to show us amazing love in the midst of the pain and suffering of our world today?

When you broaden your view, what else do YOU see?

Nancy Arnold