Short & Sweet: Cross Guard, by Mary Kane

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

When I was in elementary school, I attended a neighborhood parochial school a couple of blocks from my house. Back in the halcyon days of my childhood, we played for hours outside with the kids on our block, we set up lemonade stands, we came home for dinner when the church bells rang, and we walked to school by ourselves. At the corner of Brookfield and State Street, was a Cross Guard. The Cross Guard, who wore a bright orange belt across his chest, manned his post in the morning, at lunch time, (yes, we did walk home for lunch) and in the afternoon. His job was to safely conduct us across the street. He took his job very seriously and could REPORT us if we didn’t obey his every command.

When I reached 5th grade, I too became a Cross Guard. One time, while on duty, I was caught goofing around. My indiscretion earned a lecture from my father. Thankfully, he gave me a second chance.

In the Bible, another kind of Cross Guard is mentioned, the centurion. He stood watch at the foot of the cross. The Cross Guard had one job – to watch the cross. As the Cross Guard watched the cross and the Son of God as He poured out His life’s blood, he could only say one thing: “Truly this man was the Son of God.

We are now the Cross Guards of the 21st Century. Like the Cross Guard of my childhood, we must take our job very seriously (we don’t want a lecture from our Father); it is a matter of life and death. We stand at the foot of the cross and call out to all who will listen, “Truly this Man is the Son of God.” By our witness, may we safely conduct many to a saving faith in Christ.

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