1. How did Jesus’ crucifixion make “a better community”?
2. Park Central Square was renovated in the 1990s, completely paved over and beautified to remove any indication that lynchings had taken place there years ago. What does it mean to our faith if we cover up or deny Jesus’ execution?
3. The three black men’s fate was completely in the hands of the mob. They were helpless and had no agency. These men had supporters, but the anger and the crowd mentality far outnumbered the sympathizers, as it was with Jesus. Where do you stand in either of these scenes? Are you at the foot of the cross, watching from a safe distance or hiding in the Upper Room back within the city?
God of the crucifixion, you know what it is like to look death in the face. You know what it is like to have life extinguished from you in a grueling way. By this we know that we are not alone when we suffer and your heart breaks when we do. If we are merely observers of suffering, help us to remember your suffering and the suffering of your beloved, our neighbor, no matter what their identity may be. Help us to offer compassion for those who continue to suffer, both justly and unjustly, because you suffered for all of us, while we were yet sinners. May we see the past yet walk toward a brighter future and a hope. Amen.
Ponder on the Journey
People are not publicly crucified today, but we still like to see people die a slow and painful death.
Jesus was publicly executed for all to witness. Angry crowds denied him any voice and shouted, “Crucify him!” No different from the three black men, Horace B. Duncan, Fred Cocker and Will Allen that were publicly lynched in this square in 1906, The bodies were left hanging for all to see as people went to church on Easter Sunday, the next day. Arthur Hodge of Springfield, who organized a memorial event honoring these victims, said, “There is so much hidden history that they don’t want to talk about. Why not talk about it? It happened. It would probably make this a better community.” Pilate wanted people to know about this man, to whom he gave identity as “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” and then shared that identity with those who spoke Aramaic, Latin and Greek. He wanted people to know what had happened and who this man was.
John 19:18-24 (NRSV)
18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says,
“They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
Directions from Park Central Square to Ambassadors for Children (AFC)
Exit the parking lot at the South entrance and turn LEFT onto E Olive St towards N Jefferson Ave (2 blocks)
Turn RIGHT on S Jefferson Ave towards E Sunshine St (1.9 miles)
Turn RIGHT on E Sunshine St towards S Campbell Ave (0.2 miles)
Turn LEFT on S Campbell Ave towards W Battlefield Rd (1.5 miles)
Turn RIGHT on W Battlefield Rd towards Ozark Flag parking lot (1 block)
Turn LEFT into Ozark Flag parking lot
AFC is located behind Ozark Flag on the East side of the building