Lenten Reflection
Laura and I have an established tradition to bring our journey through Advent and Lent to inspirational and meaningful conclusions. On Christmas Eve, we watch a video of the 1983 CBS presentation of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. To our mind, George C. Scott gives the gold standard performance as Scrooge makes his own consequential journey to Christmas Day.
For Easter, it’s the 2000 stage production by the Really Useful Group of Weber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Good Friday. No matter how I have chosen to pass the forty days of Lent, by “giving up” stuff or by “giving of” myself in some manner, watching Jesus’ passage through the last few weeks before his crucifixion and death always shows me how really short of the mark my efforts are.
But I keep at it every year, because, at the very moment the main theme swells to its maximum power, and the symbolic cross created by three vertical and horizontal rows of high powered stage lights blaze to life on the lifeless body of Christ crucified, I am overcome by emotion. I softly cry out a simple, “Thank you.”
As a fragile, weak human, alive 2000 years after His sacrifice, all I can do is just prayerfully say . . . “Thank you.”
Photo and Reflection Submitted by John Manhollan