4

THE CARRYING
OF THE CROSS

Jesus is made to carry his cross.

The Roman soldiers lined up the three men
whose turn it was to die that day.

Death row. Death march. The death of Christ.

He predicted it,
“If anyone wishes to come after me,
he must deny his very self,
take up his cross
and begin to follow in my footsteps.”

The soldiers swung open the gate
and shoved the three criminals out to the narrow street,
the narrow WAY of the cross that leads to Calvary.

Like a sheep
he was being led to the slaughter.

On both sides of the WAY
a fence of people watched, amazed, dazed, dumb,
completely unaware of who it was
who was really going by.

Jesus just hoped that the little children
wouldn’t see what was happening.

Man being dragged by man to death.
(Taller people block out kids view)

The universal crime that has existed
since the time of Cain:
brother killing brother,
hatred feeding hatred,
jealousy eating jealously,
the sin of Cain
letting evil flood one’s head
and drown love and the conscience within.

Hail Mary.

Jesus sees his mother along the way.

Sorrow.
Horror.
A sword pierces Jesus heart
as his eyes meet hers.

He falls.

Women cry.

Lugging this stupid piece of wood.

How ridiculous can people be
in the way they treat each other?

Jesus stumbles on,
through the heat,
through the cold, through hell.

He’s making a path through the world,
through the desert,
leaving a path for us to follow,
the WAY of the cross.

And then Jesus sees Calvary,
that hill, that Hell,
that had been overshadowing his life
for all these years.

Father, we finally made it.
Into your hands, I commend my spirit.