Oh my gosh, Morlan, this is just an incredible song, and paired with this representation of a crucifixion following a beating that delivered lashes one short of a death sentence – it is overwhelming. I don’t think many people I know – and certainly not I – can even imagine the torturous death that Jesus knew He would have to suffer in the limitation of a man’s body. I am not even sure this incredibly well done and so very disturbing representation can even capture all elements that every part of His body suffered for hours upon hours.

It took me many years of reading and thinking to come to what was a startling conclusion for me when it really made sense on every level – that God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit chose this incredible act of total self sacrifice as THE method of redeeming humanity from the limitations and bondage of complete narcissism because THIS VERY ACT IS THE ONE THING that the power we know as the complete opposite of real love – evil – IS INCAPABLE of doing. The personification the Bible uses to represent this is Lucifer, Satan, the devil, etc. And, we know that this force only comes to copy and consume because it has no creative powers of its own. And when it destroys, it not only kills, it consumes to feed itself.

So for the God/man “Jesus” to preempt Satan and “at the appointed time” to GIVE HIMSELF as a sacrifice just blew the whole concept of killing and consuming out of the water – an act that the non creative, unable-to-love- anyone-but-itself force we call evil has yet to be able to imitate in any form or fashion.

Yes, there are people who sacrifice their lives for others – for good cause and for bad. But, Satan has yet to do that himself.