Thanks, Bob

I was just getting ready to log in and write my blog at about 8:30 this evening when my brother Bob called and we spoke for about 40 minutes about this and that. He hasn't been on line for a few days and was catching up on my blogs and had a comment about my meditation on the Passion of our Lord.

He told me that it appeared I had forgotten that the pain and suffering was so intense not because He was undergoing it for all sin up to the time of the crucifixion, but for all sin, everywhere, for all time. This means when He said,"Forgive them Father, they know not what they do!"(Luke 23:24), He was talking about me. And you. And all who have sinned and will sin until the end of time, when the final judgement will be made by our Just Judge.

Even before His crucifixion, when He was praying in the Garden, can you imagine the burden He had? Knowing that He was about to undergo the serious physical pains and humiliation not just for His contemporaries (in His human nature) but for all of mankind everywhere, for all time? Not just the sorrow that His creation did not seem to love Him, and in fact wanted to put him to death, but the frustration His human nature must have felt at our refusal to recognize Him even after witnessing the fulfilment of the Old Testament--I can't even imagine the pain this thought caused Him.

I didn't forget. I realize that Christ lives outside of time. To Christ, today is the same as yesterday and the same as tomorrow. We agreed that in one way, we're like the cat in the video I posted yesterday--we don't know what God's ultimate plan is for us. But unlike the cat, God has at least given us (made in the image and likeness of Himself) an awareness that there IS a plan.

Anyway, I had no ideas for my blog today, and my conversation with Bob provided me with some clarification. I'm not sure I communicated the clarification very clearly, but I wanted to thank Bob for the idea. I may not post again for a few days. I think I'm getting dry on ideas. We'll see. I see that a couple of my favorite readings are coming up next week. The story of Abraham and Sarah, Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his wife--exciting stuff!