Monday evening I went with a group of friends to see a passion play at a church in a nearby town. They did a wonderful job, and it was quite moving. As the Roman soldiers drove the spikes into Jesus’ feet and wrists and lifted the cross into place, my only thought was a truth I’ve known all my life that still at times seems utterly surreal.
God sent us His Son and we crucified Him.
Lord, have mercy on us all. Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
They sit alone,
in silver silence gleaming
through the thin, white shroud
that covers them with gentle folds.
Within them wait the wafers and the wine,
a symbol lingering through the years
to make a memory come alive.
He lay alone,
in shadowed silence resting
‘neath the thick, pale wrap
that bound Him up, His body dead.
But then within, the man began to stir,
returning through the door of death
to prove the power of our God.
I stand alone,
in spellbound silence wondering
at the thin, dim veil
that keeps Him from my seeking eyes.
Beyond, with arms outstretched, He beckons me
to rise above this wordly wall
and let my soul commune with His.
Michael and I must be two of the few remaining people in the U.S. who do not own a cell phone. So you may think I’m prejudiced, and perhaps you’re right.
But still I say, “People! When you go to a concert, a play, a recital, or for goodness’ sake a worship service, please turn your cell phone off! And if you absolutely must leave it on, then ANSWER it when it rings, for crying out loud! If that call is so all-fire important that it was worth disturbing the mood for the audience and breaking the concentration of the musicians/actors/etc., then doesn’t it need to be answered?!”
In other words, when there’s a passion play and Jesus is suffering his last moments of agony on the cross and suddenly the silence is broken by the merry melody of a cell phone that rings…and rings…and rings…and rings…That’s not cool.
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday.
I’ve seen the scene acted out in plays and films. Jesus, meek and mild, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. People everywhere, lining the streets to shout “Hosanna!” and honor him as king. You’ve probably seen it, too. Think back. In the scenes you’ve watched, was he smiling? (more…)
Well, last weekend we had ourselves some snow. Actually, we didn’t get nearly as much as the forecast predicted we might, but it was still more than we’d had in a while. All in all, it’s been a mild winter for us, so I’ve had no complaints. The snow just got me to thinking about seasons. (more…)
