I remember, I labor hard to remember, I walk this long and dusty road to Calvaria, Latin for the skull; He dragged body and cross to this Golgotha. My Jesus was born in a manager and crucified at the place of the skull; ominous and slightly chilling. But, today in this moment I follow behind my Savior as He walks to death and I follow with intentionality, I follow with a purpose ~ to see a glimpse, to grasp a shred of the suffering He wore, to steal a glance of the weight of the depravity, my depravity, that He chose to shoulder to the Cross.
And for just a moment, a 40-day moment, I memento! I remember! Ashes are spread today and the dark mess spread will tell the tale of a dark mess that was spread on a dark night as a dark world tried to extinguish the only Light we will ever rightly know. But, the tale would not end in a dark mess on that dark night for the Light had willingly laid down life and limb and the sacrificial Lamb was sacrificed. And in the single greatest act of love, an act that certainly can not be properly penned, the sacrificed Lamb defeated death in all who would believe.
Memento Mori ~ I remember that I must die ~ And I who do believe, I must die and I must die in Christ to rightly live again.
And so, memento mori ~ remember you must die ~ and rejoice in that dark night were the dark mess scourged searing pain across the back of the Sacrificial Lamb. Remember that dark night, remember that Lamb Who victoriously laid down His life and remember and rejoice, for if you believe that on that darkest of nights He defeated your darkest of dark, you will live again and again and on an on. For the enemy has been defeated in your darkest of dark.
In a world that says ~ "Live! Live life to its fullest! Drink and merry!" I too say, "Live! and live life to its fullest!" But our lives are lived in our death that is eternally intertwined with Jesus' death. And we are so full but not full of what this world is offering. We fill up not with this counterfeit life that leads to death eternally void of God; but we fill with His death and His suffering and we find eternal life here; here in this slow and painful trudge to Golgotha.
I breathe deep this day of the breath of my past, I breathe the air of 2,000 years ago. The ancient air breathes life into my today.
And He cries out in agony and the echos of pain transcend through the corridors of time and I hear His call of suffering and I surely know that I am deeply loved.
And that piercing pain that rings in your ear; it tells a painful tale that you too, are deeply loved.
Today, I inhale the breath of His death and I find life.
Today, I can not run this race, only He could have finished this race so He ran it in my place. So, I quietly unlace shoes, I slip them off, for certainly I have wandered onto holy ground. And I stand and watch, I stand and memento, I remember my Champion Who raced in my stead. He ran that dark day with a steady and sure step that raced right into our death and three days later, our death, yours and mine, had been defeated.
Will you too, unlace shoes and memento, remember, memento mori; remember your death and more assuredly remember His.
In this Lent season, this dark mess smeared season, we stand as spectators and marvel at our fierce Champion, Memento! Remember death! and find your life.
And for just a moment, a 40-day moment, I memento! I remember! Ashes are spread today and the dark mess spread will tell the tale of a dark mess that was spread on a dark night as a dark world tried to extinguish the only Light we will ever rightly know. But, the tale would not end in a dark mess on that dark night for the Light had willingly laid down life and limb and the sacrificial Lamb was sacrificed. And in the single greatest act of love, an act that certainly can not be properly penned, the sacrificed Lamb defeated death in all who would believe.
Memento Mori ~ I remember that I must die ~ And I who do believe, I must die and I must die in Christ to rightly live again.
And so, memento mori ~ remember you must die ~ and rejoice in that dark night were the dark mess scourged searing pain across the back of the Sacrificial Lamb. Remember that dark night, remember that Lamb Who victoriously laid down His life and remember and rejoice, for if you believe that on that darkest of nights He defeated your darkest of dark, you will live again and again and on an on. For the enemy has been defeated in your darkest of dark.
In a world that says ~ "Live! Live life to its fullest! Drink and merry!" I too say, "Live! and live life to its fullest!" But our lives are lived in our death that is eternally intertwined with Jesus' death. And we are so full but not full of what this world is offering. We fill up not with this counterfeit life that leads to death eternally void of God; but we fill with His death and His suffering and we find eternal life here; here in this slow and painful trudge to Golgotha.
I breathe deep this day of the breath of my past, I breathe the air of 2,000 years ago. The ancient air breathes life into my today.
And He cries out in agony and the echos of pain transcend through the corridors of time and I hear His call of suffering and I surely know that I am deeply loved.
And that piercing pain that rings in your ear; it tells a painful tale that you too, are deeply loved.
Today, I inhale the breath of His death and I find life.
Today, I can not run this race, only He could have finished this race so He ran it in my place. So, I quietly unlace shoes, I slip them off, for certainly I have wandered onto holy ground. And I stand and watch, I stand and memento, I remember my Champion Who raced in my stead. He ran that dark day with a steady and sure step that raced right into our death and three days later, our death, yours and mine, had been defeated.
Will you too, unlace shoes and memento, remember, memento mori; remember your death and more assuredly remember His.
In this Lent season, this dark mess smeared season, we stand as spectators and marvel at our fierce Champion, Memento! Remember death! and find your life.
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