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A POEM AND MESSAGE FOR EASTER

Date added: Friday 10th April 2009 written by

THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY

A POEM AND MESSAGE FOR EASTER

THE HILL

As I gaze upon that hill, so windy and forlorn, My thoughts go back to Jesus, to the day that he was born, The glory of knowing my Jesus, my saviour, redeemer and friend, Is beyond all my understanding, that he loves me to the end .

What have I done to deserve it? This love, which is showered on me? Did I not once condemn him, to a death on that cruel tree? Taken away, whipped and beaten, for telling of Gods love for me.

CRICIFY, CRUCIFY I shouted, get him away from me, So there on that cross I nailed him, his body broken in two, His blood flowing so freely shed there for me and for you.

Shut in a tomb and sealed up, forgotten by all men, then oh such great glory, on that third day he rose again. Oh praise God I am not blind now, my eyes have been opened, I SEE! I see the wonder of Jesus, which our lord god has given to me.

As we again celebrate the message of Easter in which ever way we choose, my thoughts take me back to some years ago, when out of curiosity I think, I joined a march of witness on a good Friday, the procession wound its way from the village up to a very steep hill which overlooks the North Devon link road.

The morning started out quite pleasant, and me being me, I never took a coat with me, but the weather being what it is changed rapidly as the procession wound its way up the hill, the skies darkened measurably with each step. On the way up the hill people took turns to carry the same size replica of the cross that Jesus himself bore, and when my turn came, I was faced with the final assault, the steepest part, TO THE TOP. I stepped up to the cross as it laid there on the ground and looking down at it a shudder went through me, a chill, not caused by the wind, as I had by now become immune to the elements, lost in thought and about to do something immeasurably personal in my own heat and soul.

I again looked at the cross and then up at the hill, and as I did so I saw figures up there at the top digging in the ground and I knew what they were digging for. As I bent my shoulder to take the weight of the cross as others lifted it up for me my reaction was to somehow cringe as the weight of the cross bore down on my shoulder, and being six feet five I tried to stand fully upright but just could not do so.

Starting up the hill, my back bowed, the immense pressure of the weight I was carrying soon bore down on me, and my steps became quickly shorter and my legs began to buckle under strain, hands went out to steady me and some said to take cross from me, but I cried rather than shouted NO! Leave it; I must do this on my own.

Somewhere in my deepest being , in my soul I found the strength to move my legs forward, how easy it would have been to drop the load I was carrying and say to myself, “this is not my load so why am I carrying it this way. In those final few yards in reaching the top of he hill, which to me seemed like an eternity, a world without end, and in my pain with the rain forcing its way into my eyes, and through the redness of pain the rain felt warm, almost, just almost like the warmth of our life blood.

As those who had made it to the top of the hill gathered around the cross as it was lifted from me I cannot really describe how the relief of losing that weight felt, and as I looked upon it as it was placed into the hole with a thud the gathered clouds opened and thunder erupted, and lightning flashed across the skies as if to tell us that it was done.

As I spend a quiet Easter at home with my family this weekend I think of some many people and families who too have carried a cross and are still doing that today, our servicemen in Afghanistan and Iraq, the families at home who carry a heavy burden of worry and doubt about the future and safety of their loved ones.

Oh so many of you have, even though we have never met in real time who have visited me here on my website and on my facebook, are now very special friends, for me that is a privilege and an honour, even more than that, in many ways you are very much my family, a family of brave hearts and as families do we stick together and support each other, we care, love and cherish our children, no matter if they be five, ten or twenty or forty even, they are part of us the family structure both as individual families and the family of our servicemen.

Down through the ages and through the two world wars, and in our present time, the servicemen of our countries forces have carried a heavy load in the name of democracy and Great Britain sent to various parts of the world in war and as peacekeepers to do unenviable jobs, and note that word my friends, JOBS they do that job as instructed, no matter the consequences, as so many crosses set in the ground of so many countries testify, so many that you will lose count if you tried to do that.

France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Egypt, The Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, the list goes on and on to where so many of our countries forces lie where they fell, all have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country and its rights, what a cross that is to have carried is it not?

Do you see the parallel I try to make here? From the cross carried by Jesus for the sins of the world, to the cross I carried, and to those of our past servicemen and those of today, how heavy the burden that Jesus carried and how heavy a load our servicemen carry on their shoulders today.

Today, as you celebrate the Easter message with your own family and friends, please spare a few minutes to quietly reflect in your own hearts this message and what it means to our brave hearts everywhere, give thanks for what we have received from that death on the cross, both of our Lord Jesus and those of our servicemen who have given the ultimate sacrifice, remember too those currently out there in the sandy places of Afghanistan and Iraq and give thanks that we have such men and women in this country today who are prepared to give everything for this country, and the people of this global village to keep the peace and prevent catastrophe in this world in our time.

To the many families who have loved ones currently on their way to, or are leaving for Afghanistan I pray for you especially, be not afraid, for you are a special family of mine and my thoughts are with each one of you today and always. May each one of you, who read this letter, find peace in your heart, love on your mind, and hold out the hand of friendship to your neighbour.

With much love, and respect as always.

Your friend

David.