Why Have You Forsaken Me

33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.³⁴At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ ³⁵When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ ³⁶And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ ³⁷Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’ Mark 15:33-39

 My God, My God why have you forsaken me?
as we drove home from Mikwaukee
the traffic jam began
not today, I have to get home for Good Friday Worship
a cop sped by on the shoulder
an accident I thought
another cop speeds up
there isn't an accident
just a man
a little ragged
a black man
no car, on the highway
they pat him down
touching him in places one should not be touched
this black man surrounded
five cop cars
at least 5 officers
one man

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
this day we remember
when state violence won
when a person who challenged their beliefs
challenged their God
challenged their power
on this day we remember that we kill our prophets

Holy One
we lift before you all who experience state violence
we lift before you those on Arkansas who will be executed before the drugs expire
we lift before you those falsely imprisoned
we lift before you those whose lawyers failed them
we lift before you those who cry out today
don't forsake them
hear their cries
for surely you are the son of God