Easter Perspectives

 

Jesus is the main protagonist in the Easter story, and we should be filled with awe every time we hear how he died for our sins and rose again. However, it’s easy to  become complacent. We’ve heard it all before. Another Easter, another sermon. We know how the story goes.

Changing Perspectives

But what if we changed perspective? Jesus is the star of the show, but there’s a large supporting cast. Peter, John, Judas, Caiaphas the high priest, Pontius Pilate the Roman governor, Joseph of Arimathea, Simon of Cyrene, Barabbas, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Salome, the Roman soldiers, the Jewish mob, the two prisoners crucified with Jesus, the Pharisees and Sadducees, and more. What part did they play? How did they respond to the events around them? By considering their motivations and reactions, we’re not taking anything away from what Jesus has done. Instead, we’re gaining a fuller and perhaps deeper appreciation of the meaning of Easter.

Writing From a Different POV

As writers and readers, we’re used to looking at different points of view. So why not do that with the Easter story? After all, the four gospels record the events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection from slightly different perspectives. I've written a piece of flash fiction in which a young woman travels back in time to the day of the crucifixion. She sets out wanting to find an artefact that will win her a competition, but ends up meeting Salome, one of the women who followed Jesus. You can read the story here.

I’ve also had a poem published that looks at events from the point of view of Barabbas. The Bible doesn’t say much about him, but I tried to imagine what he may have felt when he was released instead of Jesus. You can read the poem and a bit of the background here.

I’ve also tried to imagine how Simon of Cyrene may have felt when the Roman soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. You can read that poem below.

Try It

Why not try writing a poem, short story, devotion or piece of creative non-fiction from the perspective of one of the secondary players in the Easter story. God might give you and your readers a fresh insight into something you hadn’t thought of before. And I pray the grace and peace of Christ will envelop you this Easter as you meditate on all that Christ has done for you.

The Load

A father harbours dreams
for his sons;
the aching so potent
I even journeyed from Cyrene
to secure their futures.
But dreams can take different forms
and confront your senses
in unexpected ways.

The realisation assaulted me that day,
penetrating the boundaries of my world
and orienting me to
rabble shouts and wails,
the chaotic backdrop of a drama
being played out near Jerusalem’s walls.
I drew closer,
shoved my way through the mob

and then I saw him

buckling under his load,
stumbling with the weight of it.
I reached out
and they seized me,
thrust the rough-hewn cross on my back.
Pain scorched my shoulder blades,
splinters jammed into skin,
tyrants forcing a foreigner
to carry another man’s sins.

But he held my gaze,
compassion in suffering,
resolution in despair,
and I knew I could do this for him
my sacrifice nothing
compared to his.

Vertebrae grating beneath flesh,
ragged steps forging ruts
in blood-stained soil,
my children’s futures nailed to his
at the place where ‘It is finished’

and begins.

Sources

The Load was previously published in Hope Whispers, Poetica Christi Press, 2017, pp.102-103.

Featured photo by Emmanuel Mendez on Pixabay.

Author Bio

Nola Lorraine has a passion for faith and social justice issues, and loves weaving words that inspire others with courage and hope. Her inspirational historical novel Scattered was published in 2020, and was one of three finalists in the 2021 CALEB Awards. She has also co-edited the Christian charity anthology Glimpses of Light with Jeanette O’Hagan. She has more than 150 short publications, including fiction, poetry, devotions, true stories, magazine articles and academic papers. She and her husband Tim also run a freelance writing and editing business, The Write Flourish. She’d love to connect with you through her website: www.nolalorraine.com.au