For many, there are perhaps few other evenst which help us to understand and appreciate the profound disappointment of the early disciples (women included) than the recent loss of VP Kamala Harris to her political rival Donald Trump.

Her machinery was far, far superior than his. Far better managed, more disciplined and certainly, much more mature – and yet she loss to a supposedly inferior opponent. Is this possible? What happened, how could this be?

In the coming weeks, months and years historians will have plenty to say about this baffling defeat. I, myself, am even tempted to weigh in but that is not my assignment today.

The Lukan account of the heart-torn encounter of Cleopas and another

disciples speaks so eloquently and effectively at this time. Notice, if you will, how the narrative flows from the prosaic to the poetic. The shift in tone, tenor and timbre does so all because a “Stranger” enters the conversation and journeys with them to the place of revelation (light).

This beautiful story concerning distrust, disappointment, death and despair is just what we need to embrace in this very moment of history.

I’m closing now (I am so tempted to keep writing on this matter). Allowing the disciples to grieve, Jesus finally asks them the insightful question, “Ought not Christ to have suffered?”

But they didn’t want hear this message and they certainly did not want him to suffer. And even more so, he had told them that he would arise from the grave in three days and  after all was “not this the third day?”

Like the misaligned and maladjusted perception of the defeat of the Cross to the myriad of forces that attacked the Savior, this loss of Harris to Trump aches with a bitter, bitter biting sting.

In this moment of unbelievable anguish and doubt it is maddeningly difficult to ask, but “O’ death, where is your sting and O’ grave where is your victory?”

“Ought not Christ” (not Jesus, the Savior,  but Christ, the Anointed One) “to have suffered?”  So, our “anointed one,” the one we held out as our torchbearer of freedom has gone down in an unimaginable defeat.

“Ought not Christ,” is simply phrasing it to say, ‘it was necessary.’

This highlights the paradoxical nature of Christ's suffering and glory. While his crucifixion was a horrific event, it ultimately led to his resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God.

Now church and community must band together and journey on as joyful warriors in the existential battle for justice and love for all humanity. Hold your heads up, my friends, there is a resurrection ahead, and no news,no matter how  ‘grave’ can hold our Message or Messenger down.

“Peace!”