Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of NBC's Today show, has revealed she's been grappling with her faith during the ongoing search for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie. In a candid Easter message shared with her church, Guthrie admitted to questioning her beliefs amid the family's ordeal.
"We celebrate today the promise of a new life that never ends in death," Guthrie said in a video message during Good Shepherd New York's April 5 livestream. "But standing here today, I have to tell you, there are moments in which that promise seems irretrievably far away. When life itself seems far harder than death. These moments of deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment."
The 54-year-old journalist shared that she has "wondered" whether Jesus truly experienced "every single emotion that we humans can feel," as her faith teaches.
"I have questioned whether Jesus really ever experienced this particular wound that I feel," she confessed, "this grievous and uniquely cruel injury of not knowing, of uncertainty and confusion and answers withheld."
Guthrie acknowledged that in her "darkest moments," she has "thought bitterly and perhaps irreverently" that she might have discovered a feeling Jesus didn't know. However, through reflection, she realized that "it isn't wrong... to challenge our God with questions."
"Our comfort is that our God has felt those feelings from a perspective of humanity," she offered. "That he has compassion on us and that he promises, if not immediate answers, his sweet presence."
Despite the emotional turmoil, Guthrie ended her message on a hopeful note, declaring, "I still believe. And so I say with conviction, happy Easter."
Her Easter message came just one day before her scheduled return to Today on April 6, marking her first appearance on the show since her 84-year-old mother was reported missing on February 1. In a March 27 interview with co-anchor Hoda Kotb, Guthrie shared her mixed emotions about returning to work.
"I can't come back and try to be something that I'm not," she told Kotb. "But I can't not come back because it's my family. I think it's part of my purpose right now."
Guthrie emphasized her determination to maintain authenticity, saying, "I want to smile and when I do, it will be real. My joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer and being there is joyful. And when it's not, I'll say so."
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson, Arizona home around 9:30 p.m. on January 31. She was reported missing the following day after failing to appear for a church service. Authorities have declared her home a crime scene, with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stating during a February 2 press conference that evidence suggests she "did not leave on her own."
Sheriff Nanos revealed that Nancy Guthrie suffers from physical ailments requiring daily medication for survival, noting that without it for 24 hours, "it could be fatal." He emphasized that her disappearance is not dementia-related, describing her as "as sharp as a tack" mentally.
Savannah Guthrie first addressed her mother's disappearance in a February 2 statement, saying, "On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy."
Her Today colleagues have publicly expressed support throughout the investigation, with Jenna Bush Hager stating during the February 2 episode, "We love Nancy."