A Meditation

A MEDITATION


IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME
HE MUST DENY HIMSELF
TAKE UP HIS CROSS
AND FOLLOW ME.


HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE BEEN TOLD
IT’S THE CROSS WE MUST BEAR
FAMILY TRIALS
SICKNESS
ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES
DEATH

I DO NOT BELIEVE
THE NORMAL TRIALS
AND TRAVAILS
OF ORDINARY LIFE
ARE SENT AS TESTS

WE FAIL SO MANY
AND IF MY SUFFERING
HAS NO RELIGIOUS VALUE
WHAT GOOD IS SUFFERING

IT BOTHERS ME
AS AN ANACHRONISM
THAT CHRIST WOULD SAY
TAKE UP YOUR CROSS
A CROSS WAS NOT THE JEWISH WAY OF DEATH
STONING WAS

I COULD SEE
TAKE UP YOUR YOKE
YOUR BURDENS
AND FOLLOW ME
FOR IN ME
YOU WILL FIND REST

BUT NOT THE CROSS

WHAT ELSE COULD HE MEAN

PALESTINE
WAS AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY
AND THE ROMAN ARMY KEPT THE PEACE
AND THEY
AS SO MANY SOCIETIES
HAVE DONE
USED THE DEATH PENALTY
TO CURB CRIME

A COMMON SIGHT
WAS A PERSON
WITH THE UPPER PART OF THE CROSS
TIED ACROSS THEIR SHOULDERS
AND FORCED TO MARCH
FROM THE COURT TO THE CRUCIFIXION PLACE

PART OF THE RITUAL
WAS TO MAKE THE DYING
AS HORRIBLE AS POSSIBLE
THE SOLDIERS BORED WITH THE TASK
INURED TO THE SUFFERING
WOULD CRUCIFY UPSIDE DOWN
SIDEWAYS
IMPALED ON A SPIKE
STRIPPED NAKED

THE PEOPLE SEEING THE PROCESSION
WOULD SAY
CRIMINAL

BUT I THINK WHAT CHRIST IS SAYING
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO APPEAR
LIKE A COMMON CRIMINAL
LIKE ONE
SOCIETY
IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH

LIKE BONHOFFER
LIKE MARTIN LUTHER
LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING

I REMEMBER A LEARNED BISHOP SAYING
IT IS NOT PROPER FOR CHURCH PEOPLE
TO MARCH IN FREEDOM MARCHES
AND BE ARRESTED
IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FOR THE CHURCH

BUT CHRIST SAYS
UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING
TO TAKE THE CROSS
AND WALK TO THE JEERS OF THE CROWD
YOU CANNOT FOLLOW ME

IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME
HE MUST DENY HIMSELF
TAKE UP HIS CROSS
AND FOLLOW ME


FRANK A VOLLMER