We are continuing the readings from Bread and Wine for this passion week. Today’s essay is written by Dale Aukerman, a former lecturer and ordained minister for the Church of the Brethren. Aukerman takes the suffering of Jesus on the cross and overlays that image on the suffering of people through centuries of atrocities. Aukerman makes a compelling argument for peace in light of the image of Christ in the image of the oppressed. I am not sure if I would draw all of the same conclusions, but two lines in particular did stop in my tracks as I think about the week commemorating Christ’s death. Aukerman says, “God, in order that we might meet him, narrowed himself down into Jesus.” He follows up a couple of sentences later with, “He was formed that our vision might rest not only on this focal expression of the invisible God but also on this singular image of the neighbors we have been to nearsighted to see and of the myriads of human beings we have no sight to see.” The narrowing of God in the incarnation gives this week, the whole a cross a necessary focus, it gives our lives focus because He dies, and as He dies we live. There are people dying all over the world, that we see images of and hear stories about but can keep them at arms length until it hits closer to home. May we focus our prayer and compassion on those unseen neighbors who are fellow Divine image bearers and objects of Christ’s sacrificial love. In this world you (pl.) will have trouble but take heart I (Christ) have over come the world.- John 16:33