ORIENTATION OF A KING IV

Finally… they arrived on the crest of the hill. The skull-shaped hill teemed with inveterate sinners

raining obscenities at four men; the innocent man wrongly accused… the troubled father asked to help the innocent man… and two hardened thieves – one repentant, the other repugnant.

 Kunle Smith knew the scene was about to get more gory and hugged Eti tight. Down at the barracks they had witnessed the height of man’s despicable nature. Eti’s cheeks were still wet… his body still shook from the fright… and he could feel the boy’s soul shiver through his skin. If this were a movie Eti would have had to wait five more years before witnessing this ordained gore…

 The innocent man Jesus had been torn by the licking tongues of the barbed whip… bits of his skin hung about his exposed bones and the crown of thorns comfortably dug into his scalp like fitting gloves. The swelling on his left eye and the torn lip created a caricature of the menacing Jesus Eti had heard about. No movie had this much horror

 They couldn’t see far ahead of them because the crowd was hard pressed about the Roman soldiers and the “criminals”. Kunle Smith heard a voice that he couldn’t recognize but reminded him of everything beautiful… “Let them through” it said

 Of its own accord the crowd parted and an aisle ran down to the centre of the hill where the three condemned men stood… actually, one was kneeling… the innocent man Jesus. Kunle walked his boy down the aisle and felt trepidation run through Eti’s hand. Kunle himself couldn’t shake off the plethora of emotions that he felt now… but this was a lesson that Eti needed NOW! 

 Unknown to him a lone tear was meandering down his left cheek. 

By the time they arrived at the end of the aisle, the innocent man Jesus had been laid on the cross that he had belaboured up the steep hill. His left ribcage was exposed with jagged edges. The blood on the cartilage covering the ribcage glistened in the midmorning sun… light found blood… innocent blood trickling from the weight of darkness… Spirit cleansing blood! 

 Jesus’ left arm was stretched, while the right arm was held down over the hole on that end of the cross… the sacrificial lamb brought to the party… Kunle could hear his son whimper. This was no sight for a thirteen year old… but the devil doesn’t consider age when he floods the internet with mental traps… Eti had to witness this… 

Eti saw the grotesque Roman soldier place a thick nail over Jesus’ open palm. As the hammer came down, Eti dug his face into his father’s side and screamed. The scream was muffled but loud enough to attract angry stares from the possessed onlookers near them. Kunle apologised with his gestures without muttering a word because his throat was choked with emotions. 

He had promised himself not to cry but when he heard metal meet metal… metal crush bone… bones pierce skin and the innocent man Jesus scream raggedly… his throat charred from thirst… Kunle let out bawls and dropped to his knees… he didn’t care what the onlookers thought. He hugged his son tightly and they bawled together. How could this be? How could another man bear such torture and pain for another man’s wrong? 

Then he remembered… this was no ordinary man at all… this was God in flesh… only God could love like this. While on his knees, he heard the saviour scream over and over… and the hammer kiss irreverently… and the crowd cheer to every clang… and his son let it all out on his shoulders… and his heart rent in many places…

Then Kunle remembered the lesson… he pulled himself away from his son… composed himself a bit and looked Eti in the eyes… but the boy wouldn’t look at him

“Eti” Kunle said amidst sobs “Remember this day whenever you feel the urge to sin… keep it safe in close memory… for Jesus Christ did all of these for you… that’s how much he loves you… and he would do it again without thinking twice… but once was enough for the world”