One day, on Good Friday, Rick and Jenna went to the church to practice a couple of pieces for the Easter service. It was silent and dark, and their footsteps echoed as they walked towards the sanctuary. Rick shivered as he unpacked his music and his hair stood on end. He looked around. "There’s something here'", he thought. Then he shook his head and smiled at Jenna as they started through the piece that they both loved.
“Adonai, Adonai”, Jenna closed her eyes and started to sway slightly as Rick strummed beside her, and soon she began to lose herself in the music.
She couldn't tell him later what caused her to open her eyes. Perhaps it was a movement beneath her lids, or a sense that the energy had shifted in the sanctuary, somehow. However, her eyes fluttered open abruptly and the song died as her attention became directed towards the back of the church and to a movement in the stained glass window.
Then she saw him. He was standing in front of her, so close that she could reach out and touch him. He was in the middle of a crowd, snarling and vicious, and they jeered as he staggered past them under the weight of the cross. He wore a crown of thorns and blood trickled down his face and mingled with his tears. On either side of him, the soldiers laughed when they saw his pain. They taunted him, hit him, and laughed again when he raised his face to heaven. Then, after one savage blow with a whip, he fell and was unable to rise. He lay there, inert except for the sobs that shook his shoulders. Fragile shoulders. The cross fell to the earth and clouds of dust rose into the stagnant air.
“No, no!” Jenna cried, “Oh, my God, no!”
She fell to her knees, started to cry and stretched out her arms to try and reach him. Something told Rick not to interfere and so he stepped back into the shadows and continued to gently strum his guitar.
Jenna was sobbing now as she continued to watch the drama unfold in front of her. Then she collapsed, with her head touching the paving stones at his feet.
“Adonai, Adonai”, Jenna closed her eyes and started to sway slightly as Rick strummed beside her, and soon she began to lose herself in the music.
She couldn't tell him later what caused her to open her eyes. Perhaps it was a movement beneath her lids, or a sense that the energy had shifted in the sanctuary, somehow. However, her eyes fluttered open abruptly and the song died as her attention became directed towards the back of the church and to a movement in the stained glass window.
Then she saw him. He was standing in front of her, so close that she could reach out and touch him. He was in the middle of a crowd, snarling and vicious, and they jeered as he staggered past them under the weight of the cross. He wore a crown of thorns and blood trickled down his face and mingled with his tears. On either side of him, the soldiers laughed when they saw his pain. They taunted him, hit him, and laughed again when he raised his face to heaven. Then, after one savage blow with a whip, he fell and was unable to rise. He lay there, inert except for the sobs that shook his shoulders. Fragile shoulders. The cross fell to the earth and clouds of dust rose into the stagnant air.
“No, no!” Jenna cried, “Oh, my God, no!”
She fell to her knees, started to cry and stretched out her arms to try and reach him. Something told Rick not to interfere and so he stepped back into the shadows and continued to gently strum his guitar.
Jenna was sobbing now as she continued to watch the drama unfold in front of her. Then she collapsed, with her head touching the paving stones at his feet.