40 Crosses for 40 Days: 18th Cross - The Pebbles Cross

Yesterday, we reflected on the theme of integration, and especially how all of Jesus' life was fully integrated in showing who He was. We know that the journey to Lent is more than just remembering Jesus' own passion and resurrection, as important as that is. It's also about responding to Jesus' invitation to join Him on the path to Calvary, to go from being a bystander to a participant. And that's a hard thing to do, especially with all those little pebbles in the road that trip us up.

Today, let's think a little about some of the things that stub our toes or get caught in our shoes, out there on the Lenten journey. You know, those annoying little pebbles we can't seem to shake out of our footwear until we sit down and deal with them.

Taken all together, these small irritations can overwhelm us. They certainly cause us to lose our focus. What might some of these pebbles be? Perhaps one is an uncomfortable memory that arrives just as we are drifting off to sleep. Maybe another is the family member who bullies, while saying it's due to concern. Or what about that random driver who cuts you off and almost causes a wreck? The list is endless. Just like pebbles in the road, these thoughts and experiences are a multitude, multiplying, distracting and clamoring for our attention.

But the Pebbles Cross shows us the solution to the never-ending problem of small irritations that can push us off balance. If we can gather up all these annoying pebbles and offer them up, make them part of our Lenten sacrifice, then we can turn the tables and make those little rocks work for our good. This, of course, is not easy, especially when it is 2:00am and you can't get rid of that one memory. This is also why we don't pretend to be walking this path alone. Not only are we spiritually walking towards Jerusalem with Jesus, but we are also walking with a whole community of people who like us, are also struggling along the way, and we can help each other. This is the great gift of belonging to the Church.

What pebble or pebbles are you carrying?

Not only does the Pebble Cross represent the individual scratches and scars each of us carries, but it also shows us the power of community, of not going it alone. We might have difficulty in letting go of one particular pebble, but if we are walking with other people, often they are the ones who can show us how to lift it up. When you are walking with others, you hear their stories and come to understand their pain as well as their victories. And through this sharing, we can gain the benefit of their wisdom and support. Finding this companionship can be as simple as joining a Bible study, or a playgroup or any small group of believers who gathers to help each other, to give each other support and encourage one another to keep on going.

Although we tend to think of Lent as a long, solitary trek to Good Friday, that's not the case. Jesus did not make the journey alone and neither should we. If we find that we are struggling with a particular pebble - or the same two or three pebbles - during this holy season, perhaps the solution lies in finding others who have already stopped, sat down, and shaken that same pebble out of their shoe, instead of trying to do it on our own.

Let us pray: Holy Trinity, help us avoid the belief that we must do everything ourselves. Guide us to understand that you have given us each other in the Church so that we can support and help each other. Inspire us to find the help we need to overcome the pebbles we trod on each day. And in all things, let us praise you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen