Why? Peter asked himself. Why...
Illustration
"Why?" Peter asked himself. "Why would anyone DO such a thing? And how would anyone have the guts to do it?" These questions had haunted Peter since he was nine or ten years old. Now, at 16, he found himself asking them again, with a vehemence born of a desperate desire to know pressing against a fear of the answers. In fact, he suspected he already knew the answers; his mind just wouldn't accept what his heart told him had to be true.
Brusquely, Peter turned away from the painting and started toward the exit. He felt his pace quickening as he neared the gallery door. Almost on a separate level of consciousness, he seemed to be observing himself and his dramatic response to the graphic depiction of incomprehensible mystery.
"Hold it!" Peter silently commanded himself. He stopped so suddenly he was surprised his shoes didn't leave skid marks on the marble floor. Slowly he began to retrace his steps, irrepressibly drawn back to the painting of Christ's crucifixion.
As he stood before it once more, Peter heard his questions reverberating in his mind: "Why? Why would anyone DO such a thing? And how would anyone have the guts to do it?"
Peter felt a knot form in his throat as silent tears rolled down his young cheeks. Because in his mind, along with the questions, he finally let himself hear their single answer: unconditional love -- for the world, for him. That was why Jesus did it; and that was how he had the guts.
-- Fannin
Brusquely, Peter turned away from the painting and started toward the exit. He felt his pace quickening as he neared the gallery door. Almost on a separate level of consciousness, he seemed to be observing himself and his dramatic response to the graphic depiction of incomprehensible mystery.
"Hold it!" Peter silently commanded himself. He stopped so suddenly he was surprised his shoes didn't leave skid marks on the marble floor. Slowly he began to retrace his steps, irrepressibly drawn back to the painting of Christ's crucifixion.
As he stood before it once more, Peter heard his questions reverberating in his mind: "Why? Why would anyone DO such a thing? And how would anyone have the guts to do it?"
Peter felt a knot form in his throat as silent tears rolled down his young cheeks. Because in his mind, along with the questions, he finally let himself hear their single answer: unconditional love -- for the world, for him. That was why Jesus did it; and that was how he had the guts.
-- Fannin
