Good Friday Thoughts - This is Love

I was at the church this morning, working on the bulletin and doing other tasks. At one point, I was in the sanctuary. As I walked across the platform to change the hymn numbers on the board, I saw a crown of thorns, resting on the pulpit. I stopped and picked it up. There were others around me, but they faded into the distance. I ran my finger along one of the thorns. It was long, sharp. There were many of them in the crown. I didn't have to try to imagine them being pushed down onto Jesus' head. The picture just came. I pressed my thumb into one of the thorns. Felt the sting. Saw a tiny bead of blood come to the surface of my skin. My heart filled with sorrow and love. 

My Jesus wore that crown so that I would one day be able to gently place it back on the pulpit, take a deep breath, whisper a prayer of love, and walk away from it. 

It is a mystery of grace, of passion and love. I do not understand it. I do not deserve it. I cannot yet, after over 25 years of following Jesus, fathom it. But I live it, and walk it and breathe it, and find myself in it. And am healed.

Thank you, dearest Lord Jesus.

THIS IS LOVE

music and lyric by Steve Bell

adapted from John 13-17

Father, just before the hour comes

That was set aside to glorify your son

With a glory from before the world began

With a glory given to no other man

Protect the one's you've given me to love

I so desire that none of them be lost

They've yet to understand the mystery

Why the Son of God would wash another's feet

But this is not the same

It's a different thing altogether

This is not the same

It's a different thing altogether

This is love

My prayer is not for only these alone

But for those who follow after I'm gone

May they understand the love you have for me

As the kind of love that changes everything

They argue who will sit next to the throne

I cringe to hear them say "Thy kingdom come"

They think they know what they're getting into

But we both know that they haven't got a clue...

'Cause this is not the same

It's a different thing altogether

This is not the same

It's a different thing altogether

This is love

Now here's something that they won't like

Someone's coming to take the life

No one has to look farther than me

For I Am He

Some will trust in the things they think they know

They should think again and let them go

Put away the sword and get behind

And let me die

This is not the same

It's a different thing altogether

This is not the same

It's a better thing altogether

This is love

This is love