“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
These are the most disturbing words ever spoken.
They were spoken at the moment of greatest anguish,
from the most horrible place.
They speak of the forsaking we cannot understand.
The Holy One forsaking His spotless Lamb.
Leaving him to bear our shame alone.
Here we must go beyond reverent theology.
The most accurate explanation is but a token response.
Our hearts must be pierced, forever humbled.
The most tender human embrace is not an adequate picture.
The forgiving heart forsaken by the only One who understood.
That loneliness is beyond our clearest thought.
We come to eat his flesh, forsaken for us to live.
The mystery stills us all - pious, profound and proud.
Still we do not see the depths.
Only the Spirit of him forsaken can lead us to taste and see.
We see why he was forsaken -
for all of the things we desperately want to forget.
This is beyond all imagination and denial.
We sometimes feel forsaken, but we are not.
He was forsaken - to assure us we are accepted.
Sacred exchange beyond words.
Father we come to You,
thru his flesh torn, and by You forsaken,
when he bore our shame.
Pierce us now, that we may never be the same.
From Jesus forsaken , the eternal Life flowed.
His life came running out to wash clean,
all who will stop to consider his pain.
If we turn away from him
it is because we refuse to look at our shame,
and we will never see his forgiveness
that follows in his blood.
The denial of our guilt must be faced
to receive the joy of his holy Life -
covering us.
Father we thank You for the sprinkling
of the sinless Life upon our hearts.
we praise You for immersing us in his life.
we now see, He alone pleased You.
Restore his life in us again.