IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME
HE MUST DENY HIMSELF
TAKE UP HIS CROSS
AND FOLLOW ME.
HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE BEEN TOLD
IT’S THE CROSS WE MUST BEAR
FAMILY TRIALS
SICKNESS
ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES
DEATH
I DO NOT BELIEVE
THE NORMAL TRIALS
AND TRAVAILS
OF ORDINARY LIFE
ARE SENT AS TESTS
WE FAIL SO MANY
AND IF MY SUFFERING
HAS NO RELIGIOUS VALUE
WHAT GOOD IS SUFFERING
IT BOTHERS ME
AS AN ANACHRONISM
THAT CHRIST WOULD SAY
TAKE UP YOUR CROSS
A CROSS WAS NOT THE JEWISH WAY OF DEATH
STONING WAS
I COULD SEE
TAKE UP YOUR YOKE
YOUR BURDENS
AND FOLLOW ME
FOR IN ME
YOU WILL FIND REST
BUT NOT THE CROSS
WHAT ELSE COULD HE MEAN
PALESTINE
WAS AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY
AND THE ROMAN ARMY KEPT THE PEACE
AND THEY
AS SO MANY SOCIETIES
HAVE DONE
USED THE DEATH PENALTY
TO CURB CRIME
A COMMON SIGHT
WAS A PERSON
WITH THE UPPER PART OF THE CROSS
TIED ACROSS THEIR SHOULDERS
AND FORCED TO MARCH
FROM THE COURT TO THE CRUCIFIXION PLACE
PART OF THE RITUAL
WAS TO MAKE THE DYING
AS HORRIBLE AS POSSIBLE
THE SOLDIERS BORED WITH THE TASK
INURED TO THE SUFFERING
WOULD CRUCIFY UPSIDE DOWN
SIDEWAYS
IMPALED ON A SPIKE
STRIPPED NAKED
THE PEOPLE SEEING THE PROCESSION
WOULD SAY
CRIMINAL
BUT I THINK WHAT CHRIST IS SAYING
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO APPEAR
LIKE A COMMON CRIMINAL
LIKE ONE
SOCIETY
IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH
LIKE BONHOFFER
LIKE MARTIN LUTHER
LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING
I REMEMBER A LEARNED BISHOP SAYING
IT IS NOT PROPER FOR CHURCH PEOPLE
TO MARCH IN FREEDOM MARCHES
AND BE ARRESTED
IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FOR THE CHURCH
BUT CHRIST SAYS
UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING
TO TAKE THE CROSS
AND WALK TO THE JEERS OF THE CROWD
YOU CANNOT FOLLOW ME
IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME
HE MUST DENY HIMSELF
TAKE UP HIS CROSS
AND FOLLOW ME
FRANK A VOLLMER
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