Here’s
a thoughtful meditation and prayer of response inspired by the events of Good
Friday (see Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19). It was written by Nigel
Varndell, and published on the Sanctuary Centre website.
Meditation
It
was the Romans who killed you,
who
nailed you to a cross
to
punish you for thinking differently.
Murdered
for daring to challenge the might of Imperial Rome.
Written
prayers Daily Meditations and Response prayers for Holy Week
Murdered
for daring to suggest that the world should be different,
that
it could be rearranged for once,
not
to make the powerful comfortable,
but
deeply uncomfortable.
Or,
maybe
it was the religious leaders who wanted you dead?
For
challenging their deeply and sincerely held religious truths,
for
shaking things up and rocking the boat,
for
daring to suggest that just because
we
have always done it like this,
we
always must?
We
cannot challenge the guardians of tradition,
where
would we be without it?
Better
surely to let one man die….
No!
It
was the crowd!
It
was their fault
It
must have the been the crowd who gathered and cried “Crucify!”
who
are the ones who killed you.
What
they need, you see, is a scapegoat,
someone
for the Romans to blame,
so
that they won’t come looking for anyone else.
Or
maybe
it was me?
Maybe
you should pity me – me,
for
on this Good Friday,
I
will stand with the Romans,
because
I, who have everything,
don’t
really want anything to change.
I
will stand with the religious leaders,
and
make sure that my traditions are honoured,
no
matter who they exclude.
I
will stand with the crowd,
who
already know who is to blame
for
all that goes wrong.
And
I will cry “Crucify”
A prayer of response
Lord
Jesus, is it possible that I, who call you friend –
Master,
Saviour, King –
Still
stand with the crowd, the betraying disciples,
the
violent soldiers, and the religious leaders?
I
confess it is possible. I confess it is true.
Because
I say I have taken up my cross
Written
prayers Daily Meditations and Response prayers for Holy Week
But
I put it down when it’s not convenient.
And
I claim I stand up for the least
But
I sit down when it’s uncomfortable.
Precious
Lord, how did you bear it?
The
pain of the nails.
The
tearing separation of One-in-Three – even for a moment.
And
the betrayal of friends
Who
would rather stand with the crowd
Than
with you.
So
you hung there with arms outstretched to all the world
Even
as each of us turned away from perfect love.
And
how do you bear it now?
When
I make your kingdom into one of comfort
And
shift the blame for today’s darkness
To
anywhere – anyone – but me.
Lord
Jesus, is it possible that I, who have betrayed you,
Served
myself and pursued my own agendas
Am
still welcomed by those arms stretched out wide?
Treasured
by the one who says
“Come
weak and heavy laden – come to me”?
Only
here will I find the way to carry your easy burden
That
costs the world for the sake of love.
Help
me Lord Jesus to come – to leave the crowd
And
replace our deafening chant with a silent prayer of surrender:
That
speaks “Anything for you – my Master and my friend.”
~
in “Daily Meditations and Response prayers for Holy Week” by Nigel Varndell.
Copyright © 2011 Nigel Varndell (Meditations) and 2012
www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeet. Posted on the Sanctuary Centre website.
http://www.thesanctuarycentre.org/