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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Cross (as in the Cross of Christ) (08/17/06)
The cross. Golgotha's. A tree called to God's purpose. From the seed, a pine. Young, growing fast, soon larger than the little ones of the forest around it. Cut down by an axe with a handle made from a cedar of Lebanon, where secrets are discovered. It passed by the fig-tree that was to whither, while unwhithered, like the thief. Waiting, the cross lay an army's cross; it lay waiting for a day of bloodshed.

Dry wood, cracked, burning like a shrivel in the Sun the cross, without a hope. The Lord of the tree hanging upon it, a heavy weight. Hard nails in huge gaps forced wide by the hammer, the Lebanese cedar of its handle as though in Paradise. Elsewhere, the fig-tree, whithered. Not a single sound by our Lord, on that hill, Golgotha. Golgotha, the place of the skull (even of the Earth).

Upstanding. The tree does not break. In years growing, there was barely a choice to weaken, to over-extend, to under-nourish. Now there is one break, the break between the timber along Christ our Lord's spine, vertical, and the timber down his horizontal out-hammered arms. A slight shift, back and forth that both pains the Lord and allows rest in another direction. The Lord does not pay it more attention. The nails do not move. The seed does not bow in strength to God under Christ's weight that increases on the cross as Christ yields up His Spirit. Without weight to carry, there is no strain left in Christ.

Christ's blood stays shed on that cross. His body is taken down. His body is buried. His body is buried three days in the Earth. Then Resurrection! More bodies are nailed to the cross, but none are ever so heavy that they gain weight on the cross again. In time, the nails are removed and the cross is discarded, left to rot in the Earth of our Lord for life to follow!

The cross of Golgotha. The fragrance of the hewn pine already gone out to the forest that the forest should be warned of death. The Lord, resurrected, Lord of trees and all creation! The Heavens rejoice with creation following, that all will know an abundance of life again! Verily, the song of the Lord will be heard! Who will live to hear it?
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Kristi Wood
08/27/06
Interesting point of view. Loved your descriptions. Some of the sentences were hard to follow such as "Dry wood, cracked, burning like a shrivel in the Sun the cross, without a hope." Not quite sure what you were trying to say there. Beautiful use of language though.