God’s Got This!

They come to me with sage advice,
               Believing their words originate from some holy paradise,
They try to calm my fears,
               While comforting me through my tears;
And what they say sounds rich and deep,
               But ultimately, it comes off really cheap.
I know they mean well, and they try,
               But when they leave me, I just want to cry.
There is no hate, there is no malice,
               There’s just religious piety wrapped in something very callous.
Their words of hope ring loud and clear,
                but quickly fade and disappear.
And all I want to do is hiss,
                 When I hear them say, “God’s got this!”

Paul endured a lot of pain,
                 His apostleship was defined by such a bane.
When God appeared on the Damascus Road,
                The Light of his presence around him glowed.
Through the blindness Paul endured,
                  And this was plain that God assured;
Paul’s life was only going to get rougher,
                 Now that he was told how much he must suffer.
And suffer now did Paul experience,
                 As if something descended on him that was mysterious.
For everywhere that Paul did travel,
                 It felt just like his life might unravel.
And never once in his own abyss,
                 Did he ever say, “God’s got this!”

To the Corinthians he wrote a letter,
                 Maybe hoping for something better;
Since the church was taking steps to silence Paul with a muzzle,
                 Finding Paul’s painful experience quite a puzzle.
They believed that God works through the strong, the brave, and the bold,
                 So discarding Paul and his ministry was just calculated and cold.
Paul, they said, was rarely eloquent or smooth with his words,
                 Sounding more like one of those ear piecing birds.
So they turned their backs on him,
                 Leaving the situation grim.
Looking instead to people who promised more than they delivered,
               Never contemplating how they should have reconsidered.
Still off the mark will the arrow miss,
               If you tell me that somehow, “God’s got this!”

“Comfort,  comfort my people” was Isaiah’s cry,
               And comfort was Paul’s message for us to comply.
God comforts people,
               Playing no favorites as he extends compassion to all in measure that is equal;
Those to whom God comfort,
              Are those who feel the discomfort.
Only those needing comfort,
              Are the ones who come first.
Those who receive comfort are the weak,
              Whom Jesus refers to as the meek;
They are the vulnerable,
              And in their outcast they are the miserable;
They are the broken,
              And from them something has been stolen;
Like shivering in the cold,
              God’s comfort will never be held on hold.
And if all this boils down to some rising mist,
               Is it suffice to say, “God’s got this!”?

Life is like a clay jar,
               Appropriate, since life leaves us with nothing but a scar;
It feels like we are . . . Disposable
                                        Fragile
                                        Expendable
                                        Cheap
                                        Valueless
                                        Thrown-away
                                        Breakable
                                        Worthless
                                        Discarded
                                        Frail
                                        Inexpensive
                                        Replaceable
                                        Unwanted
And for all of this it is true
               As we want to throw in the towel because we’re through.
But God places a treasure within us,
               The gospel – a piece of himself – in the form of Jesus;
The strength to endure suffering and pain,
               Is found within the precious Name;
 So don’t think that I’m a little remiss,
               When you tell me, “God’s got this!”

Paul is honest about the toll of ministry,
              They fudged and shaded the truth, dodging any responsibility.
Paul says, “We are hard pressed on every side,”
             They say, “You just never tried.”
Paul says, “We are perplexed,”
              They say, “You are surely vexed;”
Paul says, “We are persecuted,”
              They say, “For ministry, you are just ill-suited.”
Paul says, “We are struck down,”
               They say, “You just exaggerate the crackdown.”
Paul says that we carry around in us Christ’s death,
                So that others might experience life through his breath.
And even if their words are meant to us they diss,
                Paul never wrote, “God’s got this!”

To be sure, life is hard,
                and will often leave you scarred;
If you are not careful,
                the consequence to your soul can be dreadful;
Sometimes the punches taken can feel like it’s from that Boxer, Ali,
                Since they float like a butterfly, and certainly sting like a bee.
And who has the heart to go on,
                 And who has not been tempted to withdraw, like was done at Saigon?
Should we just raise the Flag of Surrender,
                 And forsake all hope of dignity and splendor?
Or do we say how we will not lose heart,
                 And believe that ever morning we begin with a brand new start?
For out there someone will want to deceive,
                 Because they want us to believe,
And their words will come to us as a kiss,
                 When they tell us, “God’s got this!”

We will not be discredited,
                 But some of our theology needs re-edited;
So no stumbling block will be placed in their way,
                 Though some opinions I do wish to sway.
If it is faith that takes great endurance,
                 God instills within us a blessed assurance.
We face troubles, hardships, and distress,
                 And beatings, riots, hunger, and sleepless nights, if I must confess;
And the stamina it takes is like those of a marathoner,
                 Who competes against false rumors, slander, and dishonor.
For the burden of enduring the assault brings sorrow,
                 Though we look to the breaking of the sunrise tomorrow.
And you can dress it up in some sort of fritz,
                  But never do we find, “God’s got this!”

So one by one Paul stands in his boast,
                  And will present to the church the things he counts the most.
In his bragging, as we will count each one,
                  Hoping all other bragging will finally be done.
Multiple times has Paul has been arrested and placed in prison,
                  He brings this up because the issue has arisen; 
His skin shows signs of abuse,
                  His body broken from the misuse,
                           To his floggings,
                           To the rods used to beat him,
                           To the Jews law of “forty lashes minus one,”
                           And from the time he was left to die after a stoning,
                  And all this was unleashed on him with no excuse.
He was in danger,
                  From those he thought were friends to those who saw as a stranger,
                           Danger from crossing rivers or flooded waters;
                           Danger from bandits, who rob, steal, and kill;
                           Danger from his own countrymen, who accuse him of breaking the Law;
                           Danger from the Gentiles, who won’t give up their pagan ways;
                           Danger from the city, where power structures are in place;
                           Danger from the country, because wild animals roam;
                           Danger from the sea, where he was shipwrecked at least four times,
                           Danger from false brothers, who pretend to be friendly and faithful,
                   Because the message he preached wasn’t him being an entertainer.
Paul labored, and toiled, and went without sleep,
                    Since what he was in him came from his own deep.
So Paul will boast about the things that show him weak,
                    Every time someone levels at him some critique.
Which is why he will choose to dismiss,
                    When he hears someone say, “God’s got this!”

But Paul had an “out of the body” experience,
                      Where he was led into heaven – something quite serious;
He witnessed visions, inexpressible things, and revelations,
                      Which left him without a voice or any citations.
And because he stepped into paradise, he was given a thorn,
                       Which would have caused other people to mourn.
He begged, he pleaded, and prayed for God to take it away,
                       Or at least to keep this torment at bay.
Instead, God promised Paul something more,
                       Something for him to explore.
God offered Paul grace,
                       So Paul has the freedom to live and to minister in such a space.
But even more, God rained on the apostle a great shower,
                        So that when Paul is weak, God gives him his power.


So God does not take the situation away,
                       When we beg and plead to him and pray;
And God does not mysteriously take over,
                        Even if he does draw himself closer.
God is the power source for us to endure,
                        a source for us to plug into that is secure.
So that when we are so frail and weak,
                        That we are driven to our knees when the outcome looks bleak;
God draws close to us,
                         And with endurance that empowers us,
                         For now we know that “God dwells within us,”
Only brings a new premise,  
                        For me to say in all boldness and confidence and promises,
                        That with God living in me, I can say,
                         “We’ve got this!”
                         

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)

I Prayed for Ukraine

I prayed for Ukraine
When the Soviet Union fell, folded, divided, and dissolved,
Giving the people more power and resolve;|
ndependence and freedom were ushered into the toast of a champaign.

I prayed for Ukraine
When the spiritually dry, barren, and parched Soviet lands
Received fresh water from the Savior with pierced hands;
Missionaries persuaded the locals to come to the Jesus who reigns.

I prayed for Ukraine
The day my brother and his wife traveled to an orphanage in Aackabo to adopt their son,
And when they saw that the boy was wearing a Snoopy t-shirt, they knew he was the one;
My nephew was chosen as if the moment was somehow pre-ordained.

I prayed for Ukraine
When an untested President was accused of corruption – a victim of being coerced –
And was threatened: “Play our game or the allocated monies for defense won’t be dispersed.”  
As his reputation was tarnished and maligned, he was recipient of the world’s disdain.

I prayed for Ukraine
When Russia began its invasion on the pretext of lies;
With buildings being bombed and cities facing undeniable demise;
Refugees fleeing their home, maybe forever, while saying their goodbyes
To the fighting men – their sons, their husbands, and their fathers – amid their tears and cries;
Their food, water, and clothing all in short supplies.
Death hovers like a vulture circling the brave soldiers and innocent civilians caught in the cross-fires,
While on the fringes – at the borders to avoid escalation – are waiting and watching the allies; 
The world saw an untested President refusing to flee, heroically calling his nation to rise,

Hoping that someone in power can put an end to this refrain,

I prayed for Ukraine’s enemies,
The Russian soldiers were told they were liberating the people
Because Putin’s invasion is far from legal,
Where the Imago Dei, instead of gathering in a warzone, should be gathered under a steeple;
For Jesus calls us to be fully stretched and pray for all, including those who are as trustworthy as a weasel;
Calling us through prayer that peace may come from the greatest of the Supremacies.

I prayed for Ukraine.

Solo Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)

Homeless And Hungry: A Compassionate Response

In Matthew’s final judgment scene (25:31-46) Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep/righteous responded to the plight of Jesus, while the goats/ all others ignored the pain Jesus suffered. Neither group actually saw Jesus, so they sought clarification (25:37,44). “Whatever you did (or didn’t do) for the least of these, you did (or didn’t do) for me” (25:40,45). Jesus identifies with the poor and the suffering. So when we see someone hungry, we feed them because we see Jesus as the one hungry. When we realize someone is thirsty, we offer a drink of water because we see Jesus as thirsty. When we practice hospitality for a stranger, we open our hearts and home because we see Jesus as needing shelter. When we see someone “naked,” we dress them because we see Jesus as the one needing clothes. When the sick need care we provide assistance because we see Jesus battling an illness. When we know someone is behind bars, we visit as if Jesus is the one in jail.

The seriousness of caring for those who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, sick, and in prison seem to be a heaven/hell issue. If we choose to ignore the plight of the “poor” (as defined by those who are hungry, thirsty, etc.), then when we face Jesus upon his return the outcome is far from promising. While culture does influence the passage, especially with hospitality and imprisonment, the truth of this passage speaks to Christians caring for people pushed to the margins of society. Jesus expects his people to show compassion and empathy by demonstrating concern for the poor.

Talking about helping the poor is always easier – even though it’s politically charged – than stepping up to demonstrate compassionate and empathic concern. While opening our hearts to the biblical story is the first step, the second is to open our hearts to the people in our community. Once that happens, the possibilities are endless.

● Reading a book about American poverty or addiction helps opens our eyes to see the biblical story clearer. Reading articles from the perspective of the marginalized helps understand their world better. Such information removes the caricature and paints an accurate picture of poverty. ● Each month Sunshine collects canned food and supplies to send to the Midwestern Children’s Home. ● At the beginning of every school supplies are collected and given to children who cannot afford to purchase themselves. By late fall Sunshine begins collecting monies to supply winter coats to children who do not have a coat. ● When COVID closed our schools we helped supply snacks and food for the Minford schools who delivered them to students at risk. ● Sharon Hallam has assembled “survival” kits for the homeless filled with snacks and personal hygiene supplies. ● A local organization, Hoodies for the Homeless, collects sweatshirts and fleece blankets to distribute to the homeless of Portsmouth. It’s a simple way of helping others while purging your own closet at the same time. ● At the Portsmouth Burger King one or two homeless people are usually at the corner seeking help. When going through the drive through, it’s not difficult to order a couple of extra burgers to give to them. ● A couple of years ago a Canadian high school chorus who presented a concert to Sunshine and needed homes for the student. Sunshine stepped up to the need. ● As you’re enjoying your meal at your favorite restaurant, someone is bound to walk in that you know needs you to (secretly) buy their meal for them (see also Dairy Bar hungry promise).  ● Before COVID shut down our facilities a small group of members met once a month to feed the Narcotics Anonymous members a spaghetti dinner, fully funded from their own pockets. Even in COVID the Directly Affected has asked for help to fund dinners for their meetings. Directly Affected comprise of teens whose parents are addicts. ● Remember outreach ministries like Hope for Haiti, Breaking Chains in Honduras or the many crisis pregnancy organizations like Elizabeth’s Hope in Chillicothe or CRADLE in Portsmouth.

As we are offering a compassionate response to the poor and to the marginalized, remember something bigger is at stake. Something bigger is always at stake.

If you feed anyone who is hungry,

                You are feeding Jesus.

If you give water to anyone who is thirsty,

                You are quenching the thirst of Jesus.

If you invite anyone into your home – even a stranger,  

                You are giving room and board to Jesus.

If you give garment to anyone needing clothing,

                You are dressing Jesus.

If you provide comfort and healing to the sick,

                You are looking after Jesus.

If you visited anyone in prison,

                You are visiting an imprisoned Jesus.

Because when we see the hungry, the thirsty, a stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned,

                We actually don’t see them,
We see Jesus’

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)

EASTER SUNDAY! Looking for the Living Among the Dead

The women ventured to the tomb;

                Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary and other women walked together;

It was early in the morning,

                On the first day of the week;

They brought with them spices,

                Prepared to anoint the body of Jesus,

                So that the stench of death be overcome by the fake fragrance of life.

Very few words were spoken in the cold crisp air,

                Until they realized the tomb was still sealed.

“Who will move the stone?” they asked each other,

                As they continued their journey to the tomb.

They were walking a path to pay their respects for the one who died,

                Wishing to honor him who honored them.

They were looking for the body of Jesus,

                But they were looking for the living among the dead.

They weren’t afraid of the Jews,

                They weren’t afraid of retaliation.

The eleven faithful followers of Jesus,

                Were hiding behind closed and locked doors;

                Spiritually paralyzed.

                Gripped with fear.

                Losing all hope.

                Believing the worst was yet to come.

The Apostles believed the Jews were coming after them

                For if the Jews had Jesus on their list, then they were next.

But the women showed courage;

                Leaving the security of their homes,

                Walking exposed in the open countryside.

They were looking for the body of Jesus,

                But they were looking for the living among the dead.

As they approached the tomb,

Bewildered shock overcame them like a plot twist in a gripping novel;

The stone was already moved!

                Rolled from the moment the sun pierced the darkness;

Someone had cleared an easy path into the tomb;

                Nothing now prevented them from getting to Jesus.

The lane was opened,

                As the road was cleared;

With anticipation in their eyes, they picked up their pace,

                The slow methodical walk quickened to a brisk walk,

                Drawn even more to the tomb;

As they reached their destination, they peered into the tomb;

                Nothing.

                Nobody.

                No body.

                Only a simple cloth where Jesus once laid.

                The tomb was empty.

With saucer-like eyes they stared,

                Words were no longer spoken.

                Words were no longer needed.

The angel suddenly appeared gleaming like lightening,

                And the women fell to the ground.

He spoke to them saying,

                “He is not here!

                He is risen!

                So why are you looking for the living among the dead?”

They left the tomb to find the apostles.

                With joy like the wind in their sails

                They rushed back to the disciples;

They told them the good news;

                They said the tomb was empty;

                They recounted of their encounter with the angel;

                They alerted them that he had risen;

                They declared that Jesus was alive!

But the men did not believe the women.

                They wondered what the empty tomb meant,

                As they too were looking for the living among the dead.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)

Jesus Calls Us

Jesus calls us to love,
Not to hate, resent, detest or to show hostility;
But to seek the best in the people we encounter.
We follow Jesus when we are devoted to each other.

Jesus calls us to sacrifice,
Not to hoard, grab, stockpile or to embrace selfishness;
But to let go of the very things we prize the most.
We follow Jesus when we are generous to each other.

Jesus calls us to forgive,
Not to hold grudges, to feed spite, to resent, or to seek retaliation;
But to bury the hatchet and letting it go.
We follow Jesus when we cancel the (spiritual) debt.

Jesus calls us to compassion,
Not to be calloused, coldhearted, uncaring or heartless;
But to feel the plight of those who endure the sting of living.
We follow Jesus when we suffer with others.

Jesus calls us to speak,
Not to shout, scream, bellow or yell in demeaning ways;
But to talk in calmness as a non-anxious person.
We follow Jesus when we refuse to keep silent.

Jesus calls us to truth,
Not to lie, fudge, manipulate, or distort reality;
But to line our words and life to the Plumb-line.
We follow Jesus when we embrace integrity.

Jesus calls us to faith,
Not to anxiety, fear, worry, and dread;
But to reach out to Jesus as he reaches out to us.
We follow Jesus when it’s so sweet to trust in him.

Jesus calls us to listen to him,
Not to society, to those voices who drown him out;
But to filter the white noise to hear him clearly.
We follow Jesus when it’s his voice we hear with precision.

Jesus calls us to hope,
Not to despair, despondency, dejection or to lose heart;
But to courageous expectation even in the midst of loss.
We follow Jesus when we anticipate God’s presence.

Jesus calls us to follow him,
Not to dictate the direction or to complain about the trail;
But to walk by faith and not by sight.
We follow Jesus when we stay on the path with him.

Jesus calls us to unity,
Not to divide and split, or pursue dissonance and partitions;
But to passionately seek what we hold in koinonia (i.e. common).|
We follow Jesus when we forgo partisan for oneness.

Jesus calls us to die,
Not to fight, demand, insist and require our own rights;
But willingly relinquish our privileges and claim to life.
We follow Jesus when we pick up our cross to shadow him. 

Jesus calls us,
Not in anger, disappointment, frustration or with regret;
But in soft, gentle and loving tones.
We follow Jesus when we answer his call.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

FAITH IN CRISIS: A Psalm of Lament for the Church

How long, O Lord? Must we cry out to your Name?
How long, O Lord? Will our pleas echo in the chamber of your throne-room?
How long, O Lord? Will you turn your face away from
We feel the social distance from you.
Every day the isolation suffers like a prison sentence.
How long will we be forced into solitude?

Every day the news is dar
As we seek to find the light.
The number sickened by COVID-19 climbs,
While the number of available PPE’s diminishes.
Unemployment rates are rising,
As businesses struggle to stay afloat.
With high school seniors, born about the time of 9-11,
Graduating in the midst of a Pandemic.
And churches no longer able to assemble;
The online experience only fills a temporary void,
Like empty calories inside empty church buildings.
How long, O Lord? Till the tide turns?

We look to you for an answer,
But what we hear is white noise.
They say, “God is punishing the Land for its sins:
By closing athletic venues for worshiping athletes;
By shutting down theaters for propping up entertainers;
By collapsing the stock market for embracing greed;
By locking down the parks for focusing on the creation instead of the Creator.”
And when they speak we fall into despair.

Hear our petitions and respond to our cries,
Like a parent who wakes in the night at their child’s cry;
Like a parent who wakes in the night at their child’s cry.
Send us your comfort for we are shaken and fearful,
For we feel abandoned;
For we feel forsaken.
We wait for you in the night,
Knowing the night is always darkest before the dawn.

What shall we do until you speak?
How shall we proceed until you act?
We shall remember your great deeds of the past,
We shall hope and live in your promises.
We shall pray diligently and passionately,
For our own confession and repentance,
And to intercede on behalf of the wounded and afflicted.
We shall sing your praises 
And we shall sing them to the top of our lungs.
We shall be your Comfort to those needing comforting,
And bring the Light to those in the darkness.

For our hope and trust is rooted in you,
And in your salvation through your Son.
As we long for a day when your people will assemble again,
We long for that Day when we assemble in your very presence.
For it is your love that sustains us,
And your grace which holds us together.
And your promise that give us hope.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
Inspired by Psalm 13 ● Lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow

A Prayer Conversation

I prayed to God,
“Let me do great things for you!  Let me proclaim your Word to the people.”
God said to me,
“Good!  Go to the nursing home; I could use someone down there.”
I thought,
“I don’t see much greatness in that.”

I prayed to God,
“Let my life be a platform for your glory!”
God said to me,
“Gladly!  The local school needs a volunteer to mentor a struggling student.” 
I thought,
“That’s not much of a platform.”

I prayed to God,
“Let me minister to the people.”
God said to me,
“Wonderful!  The elderly gentleman down the street needs a ride to the doctor. 
Why not volunteer to give him a ride?” 
I thought,
“I don’t know; he’s disabled and kinda has an odor.”

I prayed to God,
“Let me be a beacon of purity to clean up this world!”
God said to me,
“Good idea!  Your neighbor needs someone to clean her house.  Why not start
there?”
I thought,
“I wasn’t quite thinking of that kind of cleaning.”

I prayed to God,
“Let me speak to a ‘standing room only’ crowd!”|
God said to me,
“Great!  Go teach a Bible class down at the jail. They have 20 willing inmates with
only 15 chairs.” 
I thought,
“I wanted the room to be a lot bigger.” 

I prayed to God,
“Let this church be a point of gravity for our community!” 
God said to me,
“Sure!  See that visitor over there with the ragged clothes and prison record? 
Make them feel like they are at home.” 
I thought,
“Not really the kind of people I want at this church.”

I prayed to God,
“Why doesn’t anything big ever happen in my life where you get the glory?”
God said to me,
“I don’t know.”
I thought,
“Me neither.”

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

CHURCH: Start Finding the Good

The bad stopped playing “hide-n-seek;”
No longer does evil try to conceal itself;
Positioning itself through propaganda and marketing;
The worst of society has come out loud and clear,
But can we Start Finding the Good?

We step into the church hoping to find the pure, the just, and the holy;
We expect that Christians are actually acting like Christ.
But we find that the difference between the world and the church is a thin line,
We find too much of the world’s thinking has crept into the church.
So we’re left to wonder, is there any way we can Start Finding the Good?

We listen to the message hoping to hear good news;
Why does it seem like all we hear about is the bad news?
All we hear about is Nadab and Abihu struck down by God for offering “strange fire,”
Or Ananias and Sapphira facing a similar fate for lying to the Holy Spirt.
Why can’t we Start Finding the Good? 

We’re told about two roads,
One leads to life and the other to death.
I don’t want to be on the road to death,
But why does the road to life feel like death?
Surely, one of the roads opens the way to Start Finding the Good?

My week is full of my own sin, failure, struggles, and hopelessness,
I can’t do the right because I keep doing the wrong.
I come to worship God in dreaming of discovering forgiveness and grace,
But when I awake, I am reminded of how God cannot love me.
I don’t know if I can ever Start Finding the Good.

They say the glass is half empty,
And the only thing you see at church is the bad.
But what if the glass could be half full?
Your eyes are suddenly opened to God’s work;|
And maybe we can Start Finding the Good.

Jesus never came to condemn you, me or the world;
We were doing a pretty good job of that on our own.
Jesus came to save you, me and the world,
He paid the price for all mankind for all time.
It makes me want to Start Finding the Good.

So here I am leaving this highway to hell forever,
Instead I am climbing the stairway to heaven.
And along this journey, I’ll stop magnifying or the bad, the negative, and anger.
I’ll no longer minimize the right, the positive and the love.
I’ll Start Finding the Good.

I’ll Start Finding the Good when I open God’s word,
Looking for God’s grace, mercy and steadfast loyalty.
I’ll Start Finding the Good when encountering God’s people,
Extending compassion, kindness, gentleness and goodness.|
I’ll Start Finding the Good.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

This poem is an attempt at the “couplets” where the first and second lines are repeat themes. This was a common practice in Hebrew poetry. JAP

If I Were A Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would see . . .
Crowds of anxious people gathering at Golgotha to witness the crucifixion;
The face of an innocent man – no – the face of God suffering for his people;
Charges nailed above the criminal’s head pronouncing, “King of the Jews;”
The sun blackening the daylight into nighttime. 

 If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would smell . . .
Rawness of flesh from the accused’s back where he was flogged at his trial;

The stench of death as life drains out of the condemned;
An overwhelming odor of salty sweat secreting from the crowds in the heat of the day;

The metallic mixture of blood and water as the sword pierces the dead man’s side.

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would feel . . .
The crowds pressing forward to get as close as earshot to the criminals;
The grip of the hammer’s handle as I nailed the hands and feet of the victim to the
 cross;
A sliver from the cross painfully piercing my finger while assembling the cross;
Uneasiness as somehow the wrong man was executed today. 

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would hear . . .
In loud tones, “Father! Forgive them” from the middle victim;
Crowds hurling and heaping insults while shouting their approval;
The wounded weeping of women, collapsing at the foot of the cross;
My Centurion saying, “Surely, he was the Son of God.”

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would taste . . .
The bitter wine-vinegar drink offered to the one suffering;
Drops of sweat dripping down my face from the heat of the day;
The gathering of saliva in my mouth to spit on the condemned;
The injustice of watching this particular man die.

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)