I want to write this morning about something that can turn some people away from reading my blog posts.  It's a subject that is often "taboo" in social circles. It can make eyes roll, and some people will even think "Marla is getting all holy on us again."  

But, today is Tuesday in "Passion Week", the week Christians remember Jesus's last week on earth.   Now I grew up a pastor's daughter and therefore grew up hearing this "story" over and over.  But I will admit that as a kid and a young adult I didn't think too hard and deeply about what happened back then.  Call me slow... that's ok. I can handle it.  Maybe because I DID know what happened to Jesus from early Sunday School classes on I just accepted it, and thought of it in a "pretty picture" way. You know, when you are little the pictures of Him look almost serene.  And teachers don't want to scare young children with graphic pictures.   I thought "sure, Jesus died on a cross - but it was all part of the plan, and he rose....  and now everything is good."  

Thank God I am learning more in my "midlife years" and I'm looking at "the story" (which is a wrong term because stories are fiction, so I think even calling the events a story makes it sound too easy).  It REALLY happened.  Jesus was belittled, he was abused, he was put to a very painful death.  Nailed to a cross.   He didn't fight back - He didn't chastize the persecuters.  Why did this happen to Him?  He didn't hurt anybody (in fact He healed people), He didn't steal (He provided for the hungry),, He didn't kill anybody (in fact he brought back life.)  

As I go through this week, I think about the example Jesus showed us.  Acceptance, non-violence. Belief and faith in God the Father's plan.  

Easter is a joyous day - but ONLY because we know what God, the Father, and the son Jesus Christ did for all of us.  The father had His only son die on the cross for US!   Think about it this week.