Jesus on that dark day. How remarkably alone He was.

"It was 20 years ago that I enjoyed the privilege of portraying Jesus in the film The Gospel of Matthew. The experience was life-changing as I came to understand the Lord in ways I’d never imagined. I discovered His joy, His heartbreak, and the fire of His passion. I also discovered how remarkably alone Jesus was when He walked the earth.

"After all, who could possibly understand a man whose thoughts and ways were so astoundingly removed from those of any other person? Even His closest companions never "got it" until after He’d ascended to His Father. How alone does that leave a man—especially that Golgotha day?

"When we filmed the crucifixion scenes of Matthew, I arrived on the set after a three-hour make-up job that was so authentic none of the film crew could bear to look at me. I recall thinking of that scripture, "He was … like one from whom men hide their face" (Isa. 53:3), and realizing it was very real.

"Then the filming began and the brutality was remarkable. We were just "faking it," and the awfulness was indescribable. I remember hanging there and seeing the faces all around me, just staring. A little girl from the local village where we were filming just cried and cried. They all would have loved to help me somehow. But it was something I had to go through alone.

"I thought of Jesus looking out and seeing His mother, John, and others. As much as they loved Him, there was no way they could understand His motivations that day. As much as they’d have loved to somehow help Him, it was something He had to do—alone.

"Then came the moment of alone beyond alone. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46). And you and I could be born again.

"Today is a day to shed all our wanting and live as the Lord desires: thankful. We have the privilege of understanding Him as those who walked by His side never could, and our response can be nothing other than to fall on our faces in profound gratitude. Glory to Jesus!"

–Bruce Marchiano

[Reposted from intouch.org]

I'm so hard on myself (yeah right)

This past weekend I decided I would make a better effort to catch up with some of my school readings (a terribly thick stack of pages in a huge binder, not counting text books). On my desktop computer's keyboard I left a note to myself - which I'd written with a red marker in big letters -  reminding myself that there would be no turning on the computer until I had completed sufficient reading.
It actually worked when I was tempted!
But then, it didn't. Because in one such instance I eventually trudged away from my computer, like a good girl, and picked up my iPad.
We all know what happened next.

24/6 - A Change Might Do Me Good

Do you remember the last time you had an entire day off, no obligations? Or do you waste free time on excessive social media browsing, or movie-watching, or game-playing because you're not sure how to really use it anymore?

I delayed reading 24/6 by Matthew Sleeth, M.D. for a long time partly because I had some concern about whether it was going to push a legalistic Sabbath message at me, and partly because I've been busy with other things I chose to do. But after picking up this book recently, I am pleased to say it has given me a lot to think about, in a gentle sort of way.

Dr. Sleeth doesn't make a big deal out of whether we rest on Saturday, Sunday, Monday or any other day. What he does do is describe how resting is part of the holy nature of God that He wants us to emulate for our own good. This is done in a natural, conversational tone that really helps the reader to put the activities of living into proper perspective against one another.

I realize that I need to be more conscientious about resting - even now, when I'm not in a particularly busy time of life. I'm now very curious to experience what taking 24 hours off weekly might mean to the quality of my life, spiritually and otherwise. The book made me think about living for eternity and not just being preoccupied with temporal things. What if I just enjoyed God and all the good things He has blessed me with in a more focused, intentional way on one day a week?

The writing is excellent and easy to follow, even entertaining. I had the same cosy sense I get when reading James Herriot's wonderful classics of life as a veterinarian in the countryside (a bedtime favorite of mine). It's an immensely different subject matter, but there is the same sense of wonder.

If you've read this book, what did you think about it? If you haven't yet read it, I recommend it - even if you just loan it from a library or a friend before deciding if it deserves a place in your library.


This sort-of-review is at my own initiative. I am working on my very long to-read list, some of which is worth blogging about, I think. I am not reviewing this book at a publisher's request nor under any obligation. 

3 reasons to never read a book a second time

1. The book was bad and not worth the time it took to read it the first time.

2. The book was a good read but not gripping enough to re-read.

3. The book was a great read that connected to your own experiences and memories. It took you through such a range of thoughts and emotions that you were exhausted at the end; you doubt that you could do it again. 

What's your most re-read book?