@Kelly Latimore Icons, “The Resurrection”

Jesus makes his way down the pathway from the tomb. He is on a journey to meet His people, to show them what God has done. In this powerful image of Christ’s resurrection, our eyes might first find the bold colors of the subjects’ robes and lush greenery surrounding the burial place. But soon we notice that the scars of Jesus’ wounds gleam bright white against the grayscale with which the artist depicted His body. 

Perhaps Jesus desired that His scars be seen, to serve as a reminder of all He endured. He did not seek pity, nor did He want to frighten or disgust those who met Him after His death and rising. He merely desired that they recognize and see Him, know Him and walk with Him.

Our immigrant brothers and sisters journey to seek safety, reassurance. They too bear scars, some these visible, but many more beneath the surface—scars of mourning, trauma, hypervigilance, loss of innocence, homesickness, exhaustion, abuse, and uncertainty.

Let us allow Jesus’ wounds to remind us of the pain that our new neighbors have endured, so that we might meet them where they are and walk with them along the journey of healing, towards a resurrection of new life in a new home.