The soldiers take big nails and drive them into Jesus' wrists and feet.
He has done nothing but good, yet they crucify him. The soldiers have
their counterparts today. Some countries torture, brainwash,
water-board, beat, electrically shock and humiliate their political
prisoners and seldom do the people protest too strongly. Instead, many
people turn to Facebook where they can spew venom, invectives and
callous hate with seeming impunity. Torture doesn't have to be as
deliberate as driving nails into someone's flesh. It could be an ill
chosen word, a thoughtless action, a comment on a Facebook page, or,
sometimes not to act is to act.
Sometimes we discriminate
against others. Even without thinking, we judge others because of their
color, intelligence, income level or name. We forget that we are to live
as a brother or sister to all people. Sometimes we use harsh words when
we speak to our children and family members. We can find it easy to
look for something that isn’t very important and make it very important.
An
organist for a local Roman Catholic church was living with a secret:
He was gay. He was a dynamic musician and brought much life to the
church liturgies and was an instrument for growth in the parish. When
he contracted AIDS and became too ill to continue serving his parish, he
quit, word spread quickly and the church was scandalized. The priest
said "If I knew he was gay, I never would have hired him." There was
no forgiveness or compassion. His father was even the deacon for the
parish.
Sister Karen Klimczak of Buffalo ran a halfway house for
ex prisoners. She took in a new resident who was struggling with drug
addiction. His name was Craig Lynch. It was Good Friday, 2007 and when
Lynch saw Sister Karen's cell phone on a table,he strangled her and
took her phone to sell for drug money. Sixteen years earlier Sister
Karen predicted her murder and wrote a letter forgiving the person who
would one day take her life. The letter was found in her belongings
after her death and read in court at Lynch's sentencing:
“Dear
Brother, I don’t know what the circumstances are that will lead you to
hurt me or destroy my physical body. No, I don’t want it to happen. I
would much rather enjoy the beauties of this earth, experience the
laughter, the fears and the tears of those I love so deeply! Now my
life has changed and you, my brother, were the instrument of that
change. I forgive you for what you have done and I will always watch
over you, help you in whatever way I can. . . . Continue living always
mindful of His Presence, His Love and His Joy as sources of life itself —
then my life will have been worth being changed through you.”
Deputy
District Attorney Frank A. Sedita stood up afterward and said, “There’s
been talk of forgiveness, but, Judge, forgiveness is for God.
Sentencing is for court.” Lynch received the maximum of 25 years to
life. At that, the other nuns and co-workers of Sister Karen stood up
and hugged the family of Lynch.
Forgiveness can be hard, but,
forgiveness is also very easy; Living with hate is very hard. It is an
endless downward spiral with the gravitational pull of a black hole but,
it is surprisingly very simple to step out of. Just like the cross - a
symbol of death can be a symbol of life, compassion and forgiveness.
But, only to those with eyes to see.
Almighty Father, help us
look again at the people around us. Help us see the hurt and pain in
others. Help us make amends for the harm we have done.Clothe us in your
Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do
not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your
name. Amen.
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