“Crucifixion ain’t no fiction,” said a 90’s rap group. As followers of Jesus, we agree. The Crucifixion of a man named Jesus from Nazareth is a historical fact. It was the public lynching of a man who stood at the intersection of politics and religion and spoke of God and neighbor. For his words and his work, a politician ordered his destruction to appease the faith community. This grotesque spectacle climaxed on a garbage dump outside the city walls while his mother watched. No fiction. It would be awful enough if that was the only time Jesus was crucified but it wasn’t-Crucifixion continues. Like Judas, we betray for silver. Like Peter, we publicly deny his friendship. His love makes a lonely walk right in front of us. Unlike Simon of Cyrene, we see but don’t join. We pierce his side with our arrogance. We shrink his idea of neighborliness. We disfigure his vision of generosity to satisfy our greed. We long to sit at the tables he would have flipped over. All are guilty. None are innocent. Crucifixion wasn’t our once and past deed, crucifixion is our relationship to Jesus now! If there is any hope for us and for the world it is to see the hope revealed through the horror; to see our reflection in the mirror of this Good Friday and finally decide to live.
For People with Bishop Rob Wright
The podcast expands on Bishop’s For Faith devotional, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions.