0056.

So I wanted to write a blog today, but I'd kind of decided against it since I usually write a blog on Easter and didn't feel like I had anything new to add.

Until about 2pm today.
I was riding with my mom (in the valley) to run errands before getting a pedicure (yay), when I saw something that made me fight back tears.

I'll try to paint the picture for you, because I didn't think I would able to get a good photo of it.

We pulled into the bank parking lot, so I was able to watch further while my mom went inside.

This is what I saw:

An older man, unkempt, with a long white beard wearing dingy flannel and cargo pants. Some sort of hat. I can't picture it well now. He had two flat metal crosses hanging around his neck. Here inlies the interesting part: on his back he was stabling a cross, which i later saw to be dragging along on what I think was a dolly, covered in a sheet on which the face of Jesus was painted. Some stray garments of some sort hung from it as well.

He was trudging along on the grass (or sidewalk, if there happened to be one) in the same direction the cars were traveling, so the first thing the cars saw was a large moving cross with a giant Jesus face covering most of it. You could not see the man from behind. I was able to watch him intently as he gradually advanced in my view from one side of the windshield to the other.

Now, the man simply trudged along, step by step, very deliberately. He said nothing. Better yet, he yelled nothing. He kept his gaze forward and slightly tilted downward. He stopped for a few seconds about every 15 yards or so, perhaps to gather his bearings again before continuing on.

I have no idea how far he had traveled or how far he was planning on going. I have no idea if anyone else even gave him a second glance.
But I wish I could let him know that he touched my heart today.

In the same humble way as Jesus did, without saying a word, he said a thousand words. There were no picket signs or megaphones. There were no war statistics or hellfire speeches. He just reminded everyone of what was happening on that day almost two thousand years ago.

And perhaps no one noticed. (although, how could you not--at least for a second) Perhaps practically no one cared. But I feel like that is an accurate representation of Jesus and how he presented himself to the world. He did what he came to do, with one thing in mind, and he did it humbly. And most people didn't (and don't) care.

I hope that man finds rest today. I don't know if he was homeless; I don't think he was crazy. But if he made no difference to anyone else today, I hope somehow he knows that he affected me.

Thank you Jesus. I could better feel the weight of Your sacrifice today because of the heart of this man.