The pain, anger, and despair of the song “San Quentin” illustrate how expressions of solidarity can be harsh and bleak. Too often, the church sweeps past the suffering and sorrow of the world to get to the good news and the happy-ever-after ending. But the gospel doesn’t take shortcuts. Yes, there’s resurrection—but the cross came first. We get to the good news of Easter Sunday only after crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
