Think of the Son of God, how He Died on the tree our souls to save, Think of the nails that pierced Him through, Think of Him, too, in lowly grave.
These words, of a traditional Gaelic hymn, invite us to go to our hearts, to think with our hearts of that heart breaking moment when God was crucified on a cross, when God assumed the lowest of human conditions, that of a slave, and then became what Romans did only to those less than human, a crucified God, a God who became less than a human to show us how far God’s love would go for us.
Think of the spear the soldier bore, Think how it tore His holy side, Think of the bitter gall for drink, Think of it, think for us He died.
After all was over and done, after the depth of humiliation and degradation, after Jesus, who surrendered all human dignity to restore our original holy dignity, after Jesus lowered his head and surrendered his spirit, his dead body is subject to a final indignity. His side is opened, his heart is pierced and from that sacred fountain flow blood and water. In the other Gospels, the veil of the temple is torn at the moment of Jesus’ death as a sign that the barrier between God and humans is opened. In the Gospel according to John Jesus is the new temple and that new temple is opened to you and to me by the opening of his side.
Think upon Christ Who gave His blood Poured in a flood our souls to win, Think of the mingled tide that gushed Forth at the thrust to wash our sin.
Each of us comes us with small and lame excuses why we cannot love God more. Each of us lives with the walls we build around our hearts to wall our hearts from that unimagined and unprecedented love which God has for us. To each of our hearts, God shows his open and pierced heart, a heart made vulnerable to sin and offense, yet ever open.
Think of repentance timely made, Think like a shade our time flits, too Think upon death with poisoned dart Piercing the heart and body through.
Our time is short before we can open our hearts, before we can allow the love of a crucified God to pierce our hardened hearts with an affection we could never imagine, ever contemplate. Such is the love which beacons you today.