Grace and peace, friends.

As I write this, we have just concluded a prayer service in Robb Chapel for our nation and world. About 200 people gathered, and together we opened and closed the prayer service with the singing of the doxology.

At the very start of the service, I brought attention to the following: We all carried different things into that little chapel — grief, anger, worry, fear, anxiety, and if we’re honest, I am sure there were other things to add to the list as well. Yet, as we lifted our voices in prayer, I can tell you that the Spirit of God was thick among us. There was a sense that even though the world felt heavy, God’s presence was even heavier. His nearness was undeniable.

That moment reminded me of a story from John 11. Lazarus has died, and Jesus arrives “late” by all human standards. It’s here that Martha rushes out to meet Him and cries, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).  In fact, just a few verses later, Mary echoes the same words: “Lord, if you had been here.” (John 11:32). You can almost hear the ache in their voices.

“If only.”

Have you ever been there?

If only Jesus had shown up sooner. If only He had stepped in the way we expected Him to.

But here’s the beauty of this passage — even though Martha and Mary feel abandoned, they are not. Jesus has not been absent. In fact, He steps into their grief with tears of His own, and then He speaks these words that echo through history: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26).

What a reminder for us. There is never a moment when Jesus is absent. In tragedy, in darkness, in the face of evil, He is present. And not only present — He is still working. Even when we can’t see it, even when the timing feels off, even when our prayers feel unanswered, Jesus is still Lord.

Paul captures this truth in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” An important note, he doesn’t say all things are good. Death is not good. Violence is not good. Evil is not good. But in all things, even the darkest of moments, God works to bring about His good purposes, and I believe He will in ways that only He can.

So, friends, whatever you are carrying today, take heart. Jesus is here. He weeps with you. He walks with you. And He is still the resurrection and the life.

When we sang the doxology in Robb Chapel, it wasn’t because everything was easy or light. It was because we trust that in the middle of the mess, God is still worthy of our praise. And when we lift our voices, we remind our hearts: We are not alone, and we never will be.

– Mark