Perspectives of the Cross

On the way to school everyday, we pass by a church that has three wooden crosses in front of it.  I was thinking about how awesome it would be to photograph these crosses.  (Which is not going to happen for awhile because they sit right by a hot zone of crazy road construction right now.)

But, as I was thinking about these crosses, I began to imagine how you can get different perspectives based on where you position yourself.  If you shoot on your belly up towards the crosses, you could have the perspective of being a spectator the day of the crucifixion.  You could perhaps put yourself in the shoes of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  You might wonder what kind of heartache she carried with her that day.

Or, if you shot above the crosses, say on a ladder, you might get a feel for what God felt that day.  Surveying the whole scene.  Seeing the grand picture of redemption.  You might carry the gut wrenching feeling of having to turn your back on your own son since he carried the sins of the world on his shoulders.  Shooting from above might give a tiny glimpse of what the Father was feeling that day. 

But, since there were three crosses that day, you could easily position yourself at either of the crosses on the side of Jesus and shoots towards the primary cross.  This might gain you the perspective of being a robber who was paying the price for a true crime.  You might be the one who recognized that Jesus had done nothing wrong.  What would it be like to have Jesus whisper over you, "today you will be with me in Paradise?"

And then I was struck with this fact:  I will never understand the perspective of hanging on the cross.  It is a picture I can't capture with my camera.  I will never look to the left and right and see chunky nails driven through my wrists.  I will never try to blink away the blood that is dripping into my eyes.  I will never gasp for air as I try and look down upon those who are grieving for me; those who don't understand the ramifications of what all this is about.

No, I will never have that perspective.

Thank you God, for sending Jesus to be born in a manger for the purpose of the cross and resurrection.