Thursday, October 8, 2015

The glorious cross


I sit this morning in front of the crucifix
I ponder the Passion of our Lord
His outstretched arms
Reaching from one end of the universe
To the other
His hands, nailed with blood running down
The blood of God
Poured out for God’s people
Blood that is pure and undefiled
The Life-Blood of the Son of God
What is it worth?
How priceless it is!

His arms stretched to the breaking point
His shoulders pulled out of joint
From the weight of the sins of the cosmos
Bearing down
How much do the sins of the cosmos weigh?

His arms, wide enough to embrace me tenderly
As my Brother-God
As my Lord-God
As my Savior-God
How can it be that God calls me brother, friend?
It is too mysterious for me to analyze
It is too huge for me to lift
It is too complex for three and a half pounds of mortal brain

His naked body stretched out
With feet nailed
Feet that walked the length and breadth
Of Galilee
Feet that walked into
The Temple of God
Feet that walked dusty roads
To forgotten people
And brought . . .
Grace
More blood running down
How freely He gave his blood
How freely He gave his body
How freely He gave his Spirit

His head bowed and at peace
His work
Done
His precious head, with all the knowledge and wisdom of God
In one head
All the compassion and love of God
On one face
All the joy of the smile of God
On one mouth
All the grief of a Loving God
In the tears in his eyes

In his face I see the understanding
Of One who has suffered
One who left the glory of heaven
To incarnate into my suffering and pain
And joy and happiness
One who united himself to me
On the splintery cross
One who loved to the max
One who gave all
So that I could be free

Oh glorious cross
Primordial symbol
Of Who God is
Of What God is like
Of Why God made us
Of How God redeemed us
Of When History was cracked in two

Oh glorious cross
I will cling to you
All my days
Because in your splintery beams
I transcend the world that is passing away before my eys
In your splintery beams
I see that God’s Grace
Extends High and Low
Deep and Wide
It reaches the far corners
Of the Universe

Even into the dark corners
Of my heart
Oh, Praise to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
Who lives and reigns, One God, Forever and Ever!

No comments:

Post a Comment