Where is God when you are cornered by betrayal? Today’s reading takes us deep into the pain of exile and arrest. In 1 Samuel, David is running for his life. Desperate and hungry, he stops at the holy city of Nob for bread and weapons, unwittingly setting off a horrific chain of events when Saul’s spy, Doeg the Edomite, reports the priests. We watch David move from cave to cave, building an army out of the broken and distressed while Saul’s madness grows.

In the Gospel of John, the ultimate betrayal unfolds. Jesus steps into a dark olive grove across the Kidron Valley, where Judas arrives with a band of soldiers. Rather than hiding or fleeing like David, Jesus steps forward with absolute majesty, declaring "I Am He" with a voice so powerful it knocks His captors to the ground, willingly trading His freedom to ensure His disciples go free. ...