The Face of Cruelty

Comment #11

mikeintexas — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 01:35:27 GMT

I agree, MADDOG. I haven't done a whole lot in life that I truly regret, just often wish I had done things differently. I do regret putting some of the lines on my mother's face as well as adding to the gray hairs on her head, I regret that most of all, I think. Most of my regrets are from things I did not do, a course of action I did not take, not doing the right thing rather than things I did do. Most of those turned out to be life lessons and I *mostly* did not repeat those mistake... [ More ]

Comment #10

lejardin — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 00:07:06 GMT

How very true maddog

Comment #9

MADDOG10 — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 22:54:56 GMT

You're not good nor bad, it's just the nature of the beast inside.

Comment #8

lejardin — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:35:14 GMT

Oh and these pictures are good to see but oh so heartbreaking. Thank you.

Comment #7

lejardin — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:32:16 GMT

Wow mit, what interesting posts/stories. I commend you for putting up the good fight yet I understand the fight between good and evil. I too, struggle with sin and christianity.

Comment #6

mikeintexas — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 17:36:46 GMT

I've tried that, but there's been no change in my heart. No snark intended, but maybe He wants me to continue to be a warrior against the evil we're up against? I dunno. I really don't have much of a problem with that in particular, only calling myself a Christian. We cannot be like Christ, I think that's impossible. None of us are born perfect; it's the quest for perfection, our life-long attempt to walk in Jesus' path, that makes us Christians. That's where I run into... [ More ]

Comment #5

mikeintexas — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 17:25:50 GMT

Do you remember that Guess Who song "Hang On To Your Life"? They reference the verses after that one in Psalms: They gaped upon me with their mouths As a ravening and a roaring lion I am poured out like water And all my bones are out of joint My heart is like wax It is melted in the midst of my bowels My strength is dried up like a potsherd And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws And thou has brought me into the dust of death The stor... [ More ]

Comment #4

mikeintexas — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 17:06:26 GMT

About 20 yrs. ago I went with an old girlfriend to a Full Gospel revival meeting in a nearby small town and while I was no stranger to it, it was the most concentrated speaking in tongues I'd ever heard; many of those people would get up and shriek and run around the perimeter of the interior of the church waving their arms, speaking in a nonsensical language...babbling, actually. They'd sit down as if in a trance and someone else would interpret what they had just said. The evangelist... [ More ]

Comment #3

rcbbuckeye — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 12:31:51 GMT

Mike, you may not feel like a Christian because you have hate in your heart, but you can let Jesus take that hate and turn it into love because of what He did for you. God knew before time what would happen through history even to today, and beyond. If you want, check out the last 2 sermons by Robert Morris at Gatewaychurch.com.

Comment #2

music* — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 10:55:58 GMT

The Holy Bible foretold Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus knew what would happen.

Comment #1

konane — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 02:32:40 GMT

Forgiving ourselves is the hard part.

Original Blog Entry: The Face of Cruelty

mikeintexas — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 00:41:36 GMT

The most heart-wrenching of all the Stations of the Cross is this one, where Jesus is being nailed to the cross. We'll have more photos of it at a later date, and especially those of Jesus and His face, but this one is about the soldier who is wielding the hammer.

It's not the most expressive of the bronzes at the Groom Cross, but it is certainly one of the ones that stirs the most emotions in me.

I like to take these sorts of photos when no one is out there; I have to almost lie down along side Jesus to get some of these and I garner enough curious and bemused looks when I'm out there photographing anyway, so....

A closer look shows that the face is much more crudely cast than are the others, but there's no mistaking the emotion shown: cruel glee, taking delight in his task.

That photo disturbs me, and is one of my favorites; yet, on the other hand, it is one of my least-liked photos I've ever taken there, as is the following. I know that doesn't make much sense and I cannot explain my feelings toward the photos, just as it is hard for me to explain how I feel about this statue. It's definitely a case of cognitive dissonance.

This one gave me the perspective as if I were the one driving the spikes into His flesh; from an artsy and objective perspective, I suppose one might say it is interesting, but it really makes me feel uncomfortable.

I've visited the Groom Cross dozens of times, taken thousands of photos and I have also seen hundreds and hundreds of people who stop and look, many of whom let their dogs out for a walk (on a leash, please) and constitutional in the lovely manicured grass around the outer walkways.

Almost every time, especially since I've made a note to watch, the dogs will react to this particular station. Some will bark at it, some will growl and some have to be dragged by their owners to get close to it. I don't know if it's because the life-sized soldier bronze has a weapon, or... something else.

Perhaps I don't like the photos of the cruel centurion because I'm afraid that same look has been seen on my own face; seen by people I least wanted seeing it - by my mother, by the rest of my family, by my friends, by women I've let get close to me and...almost worst of all... by total strangers who were treated with less than respect by me and for no good reason.

How many times have I driven a stake into someone's feelings just because of my own cruel nature? I hope I've managed to atone, to at least apologize to those I could and hope all others have forgiven me or at least let time soften any cruel blows I sent their way. Forgiving myself is much harder, but I'm working on it.

Getting His forgiveness was so easy, though.

... [ More ]