When I think of Jesus on the cross speaking to his Father saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” I hear one who speaks as a visitor, whose home is another place, as someone who sees their temporary struggle unable to conquer the reality of his power of knowing a better place. That reality, that better place is home.

Imagine he asks his father to forgive humanity for what they are doing to Immanuel ‘God with us’. To forgive the religious who pursue power to protect their errant beliefs and turned him over to political powers that always wash their hands as they murder masses of humanity, and the crowd where mindlessness dwells like Lemmings to the sea.

Through it all he died for all to follow. To follow him into a love, a love that opens wide its arms with forgiveness for the murderous powers of empire, religious zealotry, and the crowd who is as easily swayed from shouting ‘Hosanna’ to ‘give us Barabbas’ as christians are from peace and love to hate and violence.