March 14th, 2025 - “Bearing Witness”

Bearing Witness

“And with him they crucified two rebels, one on his right and one on his left.” (Mark 15:27)

Lent is a time of reflection and drawing closer to Jesus, contemplating his journey of suffering and sacrifice. There's an American folk hymn entitled "Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley," which echoes the solitude and hardship of Jesus’ journey. When I think about the crucifixion, I imagine Jesus being solitary and alone, suffering in a uniquely agonizing and shameful manner.

While we often focus on Jesus’ unique suffering, it’s important to remember that crucifixion was a common and brutal method of execution in the Roman Empire, with an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 people crucified. Not only did Jesus die a death suffered by hundreds of thousands of others, but he was crucified alongside two other criminals. He was not alone on that hill. Consider the powerful imagery in countless paintings and drawings depicting Jesus’ crucifixion—there are always three crosses, not one.

In my own life, I’ve often found solace in knowing that I am not alone in my pain and suffering.  Sometimes, the challenge lies in finding the right words to capture the essence of our experiences. As I contemplated the significance of the criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus, I reflected on a deeply personal moment in my life. It was during the last few weeks before my mom died. She had stopped opening her eyes, speaking, eating, or drinking. Though she wasn’t unconscious, her pain was unimaginable. I didn’t want to see her like that, and I could feel my heart breaking little by little every night.

As much as I didn’t want to be there, I returned to her bedside every night and told her about my day or read the paper aloud. Sometimes, I would sit and hold her hand and wonder how it was possible to keep returning night after night. I’m not that strong, and I’m not that good, but God is. One night, as I was driving home, I was overwhelmed with exhaustion and grief, unsure how I could continue. In that moment of despair, I felt an unmistakable sense of God's presence. I heard a gentle, reassuring voice: “It is by my grace that you have the strength, and it is by my grace that you will continue to have the strength.” It was never me; it was always God, and I was never alone. With renewed strength, I continued going back night after night and was sitting holding her hand when she died.

For me, this is the impact of the criminals crucified alongside Jesus. God provided witnesses who could understand Jesus’s pain and humiliation. God didn’t leave Jesus alone on that hill. We don’t see a lone cross; we always see three. Those three crosses stand as a testament to God’s presence in our lives. Furthermore, God enables all of us to share each other’s burdens, bear witness to another person’s pain, and be present with each other in life’s pains and sorrows.

Prayer: As we journey through Lent, may we find comfort in the truth that God is always with us, enabling us to share each other’s burdens and bear witness to each other’s pain.

—Mary Beth Schell