Were you there when they crucified my Lord?  Oh… sometimes it causes me to      tremble…  Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” 

 Of all the songs we sang at Glen Lake Camp, I was always taken aback by this song.  After walking the silent reflection trail and seeing the cross up on the hill, singing the words, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord,” was only made palatable by the last verse, “Were you there when he rose up from the grave?” 

We often like to skip over the brutal reality of the crucifixion and rush right to the    empty tomb.  We don’t want to linger in grief or fear.  In response to the song’s question, I’ve often asked myself if I could I have stood at the cross and witnessed such    cruelty, hatred, apathy and even excitement for those who died in such a horrible way. Would I have been hiding in fear as many of Christ’s followers did or denied even knowing Jesus when my own life might have been at stake?  Would I have been among the stoic women at the foot of the cross offering the only support they still could? I don’t know. 

What I do know is that we still get the opportunity to stand at the cross today.  We do this when we no longer disappear into the hateful crowds and allow injustices to happen without speaking up… or worse, join in their jeering.  We do this when we recognize the humanity in every person and show empathy for those who face crosses of their own.  We do this when we sit with someone in the midst of their worst days and offer prayers, or just be there. 

I still flinch at the cinematic interpretations of the crucifixion, knowing the reality of what Christ faced was so much worse.  However, in the darkest of days, when we see those Jesus loves in pain, fear, grief, and suffering injustices, let us ask ourselves,      “Are we there when those that Christ loves face crosses of their own?” 

“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” 

Prayer:

 Holy and loving God, help us to be there as Your people face their own darkest days.  Give us the strength, courage, and faith to stand up against injustices, and the love of Christ to pour into those that need comfort and care.  And as we carry crosses of our own, remind us that You are always with us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Contributed by Pastor Alison Zollinger

Associate Pastor, FUMC Killeen