Powerful meditation Sam. Your intuition is spot on, one of the sayings of Jesus is “Take up your cross and follow me.” You’ve written an excellent reflection for Holy Week.
And thank you for planting the seed in my mind in one of your comments to one of my essays at some point last year. I believe you recommended I look into the physical aspects of his death and I finally took the plunge. I'm grateful you found value in this.
"witness a minor nuisance blossom into a crucifixion: a news cycle is “traumatic,” a micro aggression is “violence,” a digital mob is “excruciating,” an election is “unbearable.”
Good point Sam. This ratcheting up of language so that every incident is painted as a crisis really distorts reality in a very unhelpful way.
Read this before sun rise on Easter Sunday. After calming down from the anxiety of reading about the harrowing detailed description of the suffering Jesus endured, I aspire to be worthy of sacrifice he made for humanity.
Sam, brutal but a great and necessary piece. As we survey the baby boomer generation and to a degree some older X’s those that have chosen to strip mine the world of its riches for themselves and create an underclass of a proportion not seen since the autocracy centuries of West and Eastern Europe we can wonder, those of us that have chosen the narrow road, how fulfilled we may be when we slip our mortal coils, we know we will have given it as good a go as a human being could. Those vacuous self indulged will confront their mortality, their last breaths knowing that in the end all the money and power in the world did not save them from the excruciating pain of realizing they accomplished little of significance and that is no way to go out….that carpenter knew a thing or two didn’t he…he left us to ponder a great deal. We come to our own judgements which can be more harsh than any doled out by others. Hopefully somber reflection on Good Friday yields new appreciation for each breath we take and the ability to remain upright and taking nourishment! Left to ponder our own mortality individualually. Thanks again for a great piece!
You are very welcome Sam, but you started it Frogman! Just great thinking and writing on your part, and to force us to confront some of life's little mystery's. You probably know this, but you were born to be a SEAL and a warrior, BUDS and follow on training were just making sure you were ready. I was born to be a Marine Infantry Officer. These are immutable facts and with us every day. You just chose to remind us, to codify for a brief moment what we know already.
No whimpering, no pleading, no 'groaning in the soul', just 'acceptance of the inevitable' price and a probably a long tormented gaze at the completion of his journey as he suffocated. Possibly, he saw the ahead the great possibility that others would reject tyranny, false worship and embrace his idea of living a life of principle. Painfully beautiful thoughts, Sam.
Sam, you are tough to tackle this. I walked along the Via Dolorosa of Jerusalem in my visits to Israel and the hair on the back of my neck stood!
I can only imagine. I look forward to the chance to do so as well. I appreciate it Barry.
Powerful meditation Sam. Your intuition is spot on, one of the sayings of Jesus is “Take up your cross and follow me.” You’ve written an excellent reflection for Holy Week.
And thank you for planting the seed in my mind in one of your comments to one of my essays at some point last year. I believe you recommended I look into the physical aspects of his death and I finally took the plunge. I'm grateful you found value in this.
You cultivated that seed and grew it into a mighty oak Sam!
"witness a minor nuisance blossom into a crucifixion: a news cycle is “traumatic,” a micro aggression is “violence,” a digital mob is “excruciating,” an election is “unbearable.”
Good point Sam. This ratcheting up of language so that every incident is painted as a crisis really distorts reality in a very unhelpful way.
Thanks Baird, just a few of many examples that are a sign many of us (myself included) forget how incredibly fortunate we are.
Thank you. Always good to hear how people who did not grow up with religion are able to discover faith through living. Personal and touching
You are most welcome, Norica, thank you for reading.
Heavy. But I’m glad I read this. Gives me much to consider in a particularly difficult period of life.
I am also reminded of Victor Frankl’s saying “Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.”
We could add “… a ‘why’ to live or die…”
Beautifully said, Liz. Thank you for reading and I'm grateful you found some value here.
Thank you for sharing another portion of your passion, Sam.
Blessings and may your sowing land on plenty of
fertile grounds.
It is much appreciated my friend, I wish the same for you.
Read this before sun rise on Easter Sunday. After calming down from the anxiety of reading about the harrowing detailed description of the suffering Jesus endured, I aspire to be worthy of sacrifice he made for humanity.
Sam, brutal but a great and necessary piece. As we survey the baby boomer generation and to a degree some older X’s those that have chosen to strip mine the world of its riches for themselves and create an underclass of a proportion not seen since the autocracy centuries of West and Eastern Europe we can wonder, those of us that have chosen the narrow road, how fulfilled we may be when we slip our mortal coils, we know we will have given it as good a go as a human being could. Those vacuous self indulged will confront their mortality, their last breaths knowing that in the end all the money and power in the world did not save them from the excruciating pain of realizing they accomplished little of significance and that is no way to go out….that carpenter knew a thing or two didn’t he…he left us to ponder a great deal. We come to our own judgements which can be more harsh than any doled out by others. Hopefully somber reflection on Good Friday yields new appreciation for each breath we take and the ability to remain upright and taking nourishment! Left to ponder our own mortality individualually. Thanks again for a great piece!
You've given me much to think about, Charles. Thank you, and you are very welcome.
You are very welcome Sam, but you started it Frogman! Just great thinking and writing on your part, and to force us to confront some of life's little mystery's. You probably know this, but you were born to be a SEAL and a warrior, BUDS and follow on training were just making sure you were ready. I was born to be a Marine Infantry Officer. These are immutable facts and with us every day. You just chose to remind us, to codify for a brief moment what we know already.
I love this
No whimpering, no pleading, no 'groaning in the soul', just 'acceptance of the inevitable' price and a probably a long tormented gaze at the completion of his journey as he suffocated. Possibly, he saw the ahead the great possibility that others would reject tyranny, false worship and embrace his idea of living a life of principle. Painfully beautiful thoughts, Sam.
Thank you and very well said, Anthony.
Really well said, Sam.
Thank you, Andrew.
Excellent Sam, well done!!
Thank you Don!