At the Cross

This is a drawing my son made when he was about 6 years old. I just can't get over the feeling behind his drawing. It is just a perfect presentation of Jesus crucified. He has placed lightning bolts around the top of Jesus and using his own spelling words writes  "forgive them father" although being only 6 he does misspell some words.

He used colored pencils to make this drawing and he tells me that is what he most remembered from a cartoon on Jesus that we bought him. He remembered that Jesus forgave those that nailed Him to the cross.

This is a close up of his drawing. I just love the representation. You can visibly see the crown of thorns on Jesus' head and the blood on his arms, body, head and feet. The lightning added a whole different perspective. The picture feels more powerful with the lightning surrounding the cross. It feels like it is more towards the end and Jesus is triumphant because He has overcome the pain of thecross.

I am very proud of the young artist my son is turning out to be. And his drawing  has really pulled at my heart strings. As Protestant Christians I think we try really hard not to portray Jesus' death on the cross symbolically. The crosses we wear around our necks usually contain an empty cross. That is all well because the resurrection is the highlight of Christianity. But we must remember that the resurrection is just as important as the crucifixion. I honestly wish we would remember the crucifixion more. Because it is at the cross that we identify more with Jesus as we go through our sufferings. It is at the cross that we see our value and the cost for our salvation. It is at the cross where love is expressed completely. Because it is at the cross that He laid down His life for those He loved.