The Weight of my Cross

He picked up a cross
and carried it up the hill.
He bore the weight of our sins,
of our hate,
of our neglect,
and carried it to its death.

We are called to carry our cross.
To pick it up
and to walk on his path.

What is the weight of our cross?
Unlike his,
it does not carry our sin.
It is not stained with our own blood.
It is not the crippling weight
that our unrighteousness would have made it.
He took all of that away.

He said, "Father, forgive them."
Forgive them.
Forgive me, Father, for I am one of them.
And the Father says, "I am."
He says, "I am, and I chose to become one of you."
In doing so, he stripped the cross
of the heavy weight
of my transgressions.

What is the weight of my cross?

What is the weight of not carrying it?
That path leads to death.
To the absence of God.
Not carrying the cross
burdens me with my own choices.
With the weight of my sin and death.
What is the weight of death?

So I will carry my cross.
I will lift it high.
I will raise my voice in praise.
I will raise my thoughts in prayer.
He will light my path
and guide my steps.
And I will celebrate the weight of my cross.

Note: Poem inspired by the Third Day song, "Carry my Cross."

Image: Dogwood blooming (almost) in the park yesterday.