The Cross Whispers This Truth
- Karisa Moore
- Apr 18
- 4 min read
By Karisa Moore with Barb Lownsbury
After my son Jonathan died by suicide, I struggled with the cross—I understood the exchange of our sins for Christ’s perfection, yet I wrestled with why our salvation demanded such a cruel crucifixion.
In those early hours of my sorrow, I saw our shared human battles—in the parent pacing midnight floors, the small business owner bracing against uncertainty, the friend nursing a broken heart—and I, too, wondered if God had another plan to bring healing and hope.
In my darkest days, a friend invited me to walk around the cross: to see it not just from my pain, but through the eyes of Pilate, Peter, Mary at the foot of the cross, even the centurion who declared, “Surely this was the Son of God.” As I turned it over in Scripture, the cross became less a symbol of brutality and more the ultimate expression of God’s love.
When Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” I felt that forgiveness wash over my own anger and sorrow. When the centurion confessed Jesus as the Son of God, I heard the echo of my own rebellion and the promise of ultimate forgiveness.
From the moment I first trusted Christ, I tried to mirror God’s character: forgiving, generous, patient, even graciously humorous. Yet I still wrestled with His sovereignty and righteous anger. Romans reminds me, “For the wages of sin is death,” and that nothing less than a spotless Lamb could bridge the gap between my brokenness and His perfection.
The cross was the only way to bridge that divide. In the silence after Jonathan’s funeral, I realized his death did not diminish God’s love or thwart His purposes. Instead, it revealed how God redeems what looks like defeat into a testimony of resurrection power.
If you’re facing your own version of tragedy—a diagnosis you didn’t expect, a relationship that feels beyond repair, a season of emptiness or loss—the cross whispers this truth: God doesn’t just meet us in our suffering; He transforms it. He entered human pain in Christ so deeply that nothing in our lives is outside His redeeming reach.
My story changed when I understood that God didn’t send Christ to show me a better way to live; He sent Him to be my substitute, absorbing every consequence I deserved. That reality set me free from striving, from the exhausting cycle of trying to make myself spotless.
Today, I celebrate countless lives transformed by the same grace poured out on Calvary. Through sharing our journey, I’ve been privileged to walk alongside other parents and survivors navigating the devastation of suicide, witnessing how God uses our deepest wounds to bring hope and healing. Jonathan’s life mattered to God; your pain matters, too. Jesus came for you, not when you had it all together, but precisely when you recognized your need for a Savior.
The cross was necessary to redeem us. Without it, there is no victory over death. Jonathan’s death did not steal my hope—it deepened my gratitude for the cross that redeems every broken story.
FOR FURTHER THOUGHT
• What fears are you carrying today? How does the cross speak hope into those anxieties?
• Imagine walking around the cross. Whose perspective speaks to you most?
• Journal any new insights God reveals as you place yourself in the crucifixion story. If you feel led, share your reflections in the comments below.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for meeting me at the foot of the cross and transforming my pain into purpose. Help me to rest in Your forgiveness, lean on Your strength, and share Your hope with others. Remind me daily that Your grace is sufficient, Your love unending, and that in Christ I am never alone. Amen.
ABOUT KARISA MOORE
Karisa Moore became a speaker on depression and finding hope after the tragic loss of her oldest son to suicide in 2014. Through her journey of grief, she shares both the joy and tears she continues to experience in Christ while embracing life alongside her husband and two living children. Passionate about addressing despair and depression, Karisa challenges the lie that life is impossible, drawing inspiration from Psalm 43:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” As the author of Broken Butterflies: Emerging Through Grief, A Suicide Survivor’s Poetic Journal, Karisa speaks to churches and mental health groups, sharing stories of overcoming despair. She is QPR Suicide Gatekeeper Certified, NAMI certified, and continues to study, train, and advocate against the weapon of despair in today’s culture. In her free time, she enjoys long hikes and photography, finding beauty and hope in the world around her.
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