There is a poem by Edwin Muir called “The Killing”. It is too long to read it all in a tiny time slot like these daily thoughts, but let me try to give you a flavour of this poem which begins:
“That was the day they killed the Son of God
On a squat hill top by Jerusalem
Zion was bare, her children from their maze sucked,
By the demon curiosity,clean through the gates.
The very halt and blind had somehow got themselves up to the hill.
After the ceremonial preparation,
The scourging, the nailing, nailing against wood
The erection of the main trees with their burdens
While from the hill rose an orchestral wailing …”
The poem catches the horror of that day. The momentous event which split the history of the world in two, and how it affected, or not, the eye-witnesses. It goes on:
“But the hardened old
And the hard-hearted young, although at odds
From the first morning, cursed him with the curse
Having prayed for a Rabbi or an armed Messiah
And found the Son of God of what use to them
Was a God or a Son of God. Of what avail
For purposes such as theirs ? …”
The poet himself appears as a reporter, an objective stranger, merely
observing a strange people – and this ‘outlandish Deity’
How does the crucifying of Jesus affect you?
They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him “Hail, king of the Jews!”. Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spat on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. Mark 15: 17-20
A Prayer: Lord Jesus have mercy on us – Christ have mercy on us this day.
Now make time to read Mark Chapter 15.