Stations of the Cross XI: the other

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Luke 23: 39-43 (NRSV)

11. the other

what wonder
that here
i have seen
salvation.

here, in death
here, in judgement
here, in the least of all possible places
here You are

i have been condemned
justly
there is reason for the searing pain
and the weight of my chest
and there is reason for torment
there is reason that i will not be in Your kingdom

but You speak to me
in my rightful condemnation
and assure me
of undeserved redemption.
of a paradise i lost long ago.

there is nothing
i can do
to earn this.

You have let me,
so often Your enemy,
depart in peace.

let me die beholding You.

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God our Savior, You offer us mercy in the face of our sins.  Startle us with the grace that comes in the most surprising moments.  Pursue us even when we seem committed to the ways that lead to death, so that we might finally turn to You, in joy and gratitude.  Amen.

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Slats (they/them/theirs) is a queer/trans/nonbinary Presbyterian (PCUSA). They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama and a Master of Divinity and they deeply love liturgy and hymnody.  They write, preach, teach and often work as a director and sound designer for live theater.  They are currently in the ordination process, and spend much of their time working toward claiming queer/trans space in Christianity.

Slats' website is https://www.slatsite.com and their book, Queering Lent, can be found at http://a.co/4nAGn29.