In the Middle (Jesus on the Cross) - More Seeds of Hope for Lent

Today’s story seed is In the Middle. From the Gospel of John chapter 19, verse 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. The mother looked at her son. A breathing tube was down his throat. The beeps and buzzes of the equipment rang out in the hospital room. Her sobs were muffled by her hands over her mouth as she prayed for him, her beautiful baby boy, laying helpless in this bed, hanging on by a thread of life. He was one of three people shot that day. They were destined to become a statistic that would never find justice. She had done everything she could to keep him safe. She made sure he went to school, did his homework, had something to eat at night. But she couldn’t keep him safe. More than one gang wanted him. “If I don’t join, they are going to come gunning for me,” he said. “Don’t you do it,” she told him. “You have managed this long. You’re about to finish high school. God’s watching over you.” “God may be watching over me, but they are after me every day. They told me they ain’t playing no games.” She had closed her eyes during that conversation. She saw images of the past that couldn’t be repeated. She said, “You’re not ending up like your father and your uncles. You’re not selling drugs. You’re not going to prison. You’re not going to die from bullets.” “Momma,” he said. “It will be a miracle if I make it to my next birthday.” “Son, Jesus is in the business of miracles, and I’m praying hard for you.” That was four days ago. As she thought about this, she burst into tears and her cries filled the hospital hallway. His best friend came into the room. His eyes were bloodshot. He was biting his lip to keep it together for her. At just that moment, her son opened his eyes. He recognized the two of them together. Glancing from one to another, he seemed to be pleading that they be there for each other, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to stay. His eyes went blank. His spirit slipped away. He was one of 797 that year in the city of Chicago. Jesus died for our sins. We are saved. Everything is fine, right? Clearly everything is not fine. Our world is filled with pain. When we imagine the pain of Mary and the beloved disciple seeing Jesus hanging on the cross about to die, is that any worse than when mothers see their kids shot on our streets? Let’s not make a list of all the pain in the world, yet let’s acknowledge that Jesus didn’t die alone. He was in the middle. Does anyone really deserve to be crucified? Were there mothers and fathers who were weeping that their boy was being crucified next to Jesus? How had things gone so wrong? Jesus tells one of those hanging next to him that they will be together in paradise. He also unites Mary and the beloved disciple. Perhaps he unites all of us. On this day of sadness, let us remember that it is not only Jesus that has suffered, is suffering, and will suffer. Jesus is in the middle of it all. His body. His blood. We are witnesses. We must remember to love others as he has loved us. That includes the 797 who were murdered in Chicago last year. And countless others around the world. Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed… What is your heart telling you today?