The Easter Beating

Today i had an old friend throw an apple at my head in the middle of our morning service to help me "get people's attention" when i discussed the Fruit of the Spirit and living for Christ in a world that doesn't care. "The Easter Beating" is a hard message. That speaks out to a real world full of brokeness.

Holidays are a time when the Cambridge Corps family works together and that’s what we were doing. It was time to prepare our chapel for Easter. For many who would worship with us on Easter Sunday, it would be a first. Easter Sunday would be the time for lilies, shining white cloths, and a crown. We were in the process of draping the three wooden crosses on the platform with purple. The flowers soon would be scattered about with an array of darken shades of cloth. It was to help us visualize Good Friday. We would remember Christ’s intense pain, extreme loneliness and physical death. Death! Many were familiar with beatings, for many different reasons. But this was Christ’s death.

There was activity everywhere. The kitchen was busy arranging platters, creating salads of every kind, designing desserts and checking off the menu items as they went along. The dining room was filled with volunteers who were setting tables and arranging chairs. There were those who were outside washing windows and gathering trash. And in the chapel men were gathering who would sing in the men’s hours. The chorus was made up of men from our homeless shelter, from our staff, from our soldiery and those associated with the corps. They would sing, “The Old Rugged Cross”. For many of them, words like despised, shame and suffering were familiar. I was in the office making sure I had enough copies of the music.

As I continued to count out each sheet of music, Sam entered the office. He was the shelter director. During the day he ran a drop-in center for anyone who wanted to enter. They could wash their clothes, take a shower, see the clinic or use a number of other services available. At noon there was a meal which had anywhere from 150 – 200 in attendance. After 4:00 PM only the men who slept in the shelter stayed. Sam was very distressed. Now it was not unusual to see Sam distressed, but this was different. It was also just about noon, which would be his busiest time, so what was he doing in the office?

Then he spoke. As he began to describe the tragic event, the whole office was quiet. There had been a beating, such a vicious beating that there was a man dead. Sam continued. A handicapped man who could barely walk was beaten.

At the age of 46 years old, Ed was dead. He had received a brutal beating, which punctured his lung and caused other serious damage. Now, Ed was dead. Sam said, “Ed was a part of our program, our family. He was one of us.”

Ed was well known around our community. He stayed at many shelters. He was well known at The Salvation Army. He stayed in our shelter. It was at The Salvation Army Shelter where Ed rested his cane against the wall and pulled the covers up tight on a cold winter’s night. He was crippled. It was at The Salvation Army where Ed sought medical attention. He was seen at the clinic staffed by the Cambridge Hospital and was housed at The Salvation Army. It was at The Salvation Army where Ed would attend church, although not regularly. It was not uncommon to see him sitting in the back of the chapel participating. He would even go to the altar on occasion.

In fact, Ed even sang in the men’s chorus once or twice. The Salvation Army became the place where Ed found fellowship, clothing, food and where we attempted to introduce him to Christ.

Now, there was one more thing we would do for Ed. We would provide him yet another service. We would now perform Ed’s funeral service.

The funeral was made up of Ed’s friends, those men who spent time with him in the shelter and on the street. The men who often took their meals and washed their clothes at the “Army” would be there. There were family members who attended as well. Although they did not share his life style, they loved him. There were also those who tried to help Ed: counselors, clinic staff, and soldiers. There were reporters, investigators, and even a photographer. At the conclusion of the funeral service there were many who were kneeling at The Salvation Army altar.

Ed died from a senseless death. This beating had no meaning. What was the meaning of beating a crippled, handicapped man to death? Ed was not able to fight back. It was a cruel act. His death was a terrible waste and brought only pain. Ed had no choice he was murdered.

Yet, Jesus’ death brings life. The Bible says, “He was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquity.” Jesus was beaten and died so that we might live. Jesus laid down his life it was not taken from him. He was God and yet He allowed himself to be put to death, for you and me, for Ed. He could have stopped the bloodthirsty crowd, but he died and rose again for you and me.

Because Christ died and rose again, Ed’s death, his brutal death, was final. However, Ed lives forever. Christ can make sense of such an unbelievable happening. He died so that we might live.