Lenten Words

This week...we've been holding gently and exploring where there are traces of grace in these words:

34.  Expectations
35.  Hunger
36.  Thirst
37.  Communion
38.  Death
39.  Silence
40.  Resurrection/New Life

What stirs in me on this holy day is this:

No one expected a cross when the palm branches were waving high above their heads.
Just a few days ago the hopes hovered and hung in the air.
After all, it was Passover.  The story of Moses.
A liberating God making a way when there was no way.
This guy comes riding in, just like King David, on a donkey at this time of year.
Finally...many thought...someone to get this oppressive boot of Rome off our neck.
Finally...others thought...someone to lead us in a rebellion and revolution.
Finally...still others thought...someone to blame for all the brokenness.
No one expected the cross at the Last Supper table.
The ritual was like a rut ~ which is always a danger in any and all religions.
Ask the question here.
Go check for Elijah at the door there.
Pour another glass of wine now.
Or...
Say the "Call to Worship" and pray in a monotone voice ~ lest you wake the sleeping God.
We can get lulled into complacency and lower our expectations.
No one expected the crowd when they went out to the garden to pray.
But Judas stirring the pot for all the complicated and human reasons any of us do something we don't fully understand.
Arrested.
Lead away.
Paraded around from this house to the next while Peter...
Peter...Mr. On-this-Rock.
Peter...Mr. I'll never leave your side.
Peter...warming himself by a fire says,
"Nope...don't know that guy at all." 
Three times!
I've worn Peter's sandals so many times they have form-fitted to my feet.
No one expected it would end like this.
When the crowd was stirred to a frenzy...which was so easy when Passover is always about the past and present meeting ~ how God is still liberating!
They got them all together...put forth the false choice of either or...
Barabbas or Jesus?
One or the other.
Gotta choose they said...can't release both these two ragamuffins/rebels.
No one expected a cross when the crowd that had gathered shouted out in anger.
Some still hung to hope that Jesus, like some ancient David Copperfield, would get himself out of this fine mess.
Some still thought, "Push him into the corner...then he will be forced to strike back."
A savior on a cross?
That is absurd.
NO one tells that story.
Just foolish.
And yet....
When the hunger of our lives hurts so bad deep in our souls.
When the unquenchable thirst makes our mouth feel like we ate cotton balls.
When no little bite of WonderBread and sip of Welch's juice will do because our need is great.
When something so valuable is on life support ~
Valuable like our job...our marriage...our mental health...our spouse laying in a hospital bed... our community that cries poor while multimillion dollar buildings spring up quicker than flowers...when civility gets layered under pontificating and tweets sent out...when the script of the world has been left shredded on the floor.

No one expects the cross.

But God meets us there every time.
With new life no one expected!

May the One who soaks and saturates us with more than just traces of grace...find you on this God's Friday moment.

Blessings.