40 Days of Grace: The Lament of Calvary This Lent in the Context of Contemporary India

Passion Week, which culminates in Good Friday and Easter, commemorates the sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians, this sacred week is not merely a time for ritual fasting or church visits but a call to deeply reflect on the mission of Christ—his struggle for justice, liberation of the oppressed, and defiance against religious and political authority.

The journey of Jesus toward Calvary began even before Palm Sunday. It is seen in his acts of compassion and resistance: resurrecting Lazarus, defending a sex worker from execution, healing the marginalised, and directly confronting both the oppressive Roman Empire and the regressive Jewish clergy.

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a mule, greeted with “Hosannas”, symbolised his challenge to the empire and the priestly authorities of the time. His acceptance of the cross and eventual resurrection was not just spiritual—it was political, symbolic of hope and victory over evil and injustice.

In this light, Christians today are called to examine who are the oppressed and who the oppressors are in the context of present-day India. Observing Lent by merely fasting while remaining silent spectators of state oppression is a betrayal of Christ’s mission. To understand the cross is to take a stand against injustice and recognise the systemic violence that continues around us.

This message is especially relevant in India today, where young activists like Khurram Parvez, Gulfisha Fatima, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and Irfan Mehraj are imprisoned as political undertrials.

Like Jesus, these individuals have not been convicted of any crime but are punished for challenging the state’s oppressive actions, for belonging to minority communities, and for advocating justice, equality, and human rights. Their incarceration under harsh laws like the UAPA mirrors the unjust trial of Jesus, where Pontius Pilate, despite acknowledging Jesus’ innocence, succumbed to political pressure and mob demands.

The parallel between Pilate’s symbolic act of washing his hands and the Indian judiciary’s passive complicity is stark. Courts, despite being aware of the lack of evidence and the misuse of draconian laws, continue to detain these activists, unable or unwilling to challenge political authority. The passion narrative resonates here—where institutional power is used not to protect the innocent, but to crucify those who dare to speak truth to power.

Modern acts of resistance, such as the anti-CAA protests or the Bhima Koregaon Dalit mobilisation, echo Jesus’ provocative entry into Jerusalem. The brave advocacy by Kashmiri activists post the 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status similarly challenges the state’s narrative and is met with severe repression. These actions, deemed “sins” by the regime, have invited harsh punishment—paralleling the fate of Jesus, who was crucified for confronting the Roman Empire and the Jewish religious orthodoxy.

This Passion Week, the Christian community is called to move beyond ritual and embrace the true meaning of the cross. The clergy must not shy away from engaging with these contemporary struggles, lest they resemble the Pharisees—collaborators of oppressive power.

Instead, churches and believers must stand in solidarity with those who suffer for justice. To do otherwise is to commercialise the crucifix, turning it into a decorative object rather than a call to moral and political courage.

To be a true follower of Christ today means to walk the path of Calvary with conviction—to challenge unjust authority, stand with the marginalised, and never wash our hands of the blood of the innocent. This Lent, let the lament of Calvary be a clarion call to act, resist, and live the mission of Christ in our world.

By Vijayan M.J

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