THE FIRST STATION: Jesus Is Condemned to Death

The governor said to them in reply, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They answered, “Barabbas! … Let [Jesus] be crucified!”

– Matthew 27:21–22

As we imagine this scene, perhaps we see chaos, mayhem, people pushing and pulling at each other, screaming and shouting. There is manipulation and bribery afoot; a good man is about to be killed as a public spectacle, and the laws of the land stand in silence. Perhaps this scene seems far removed—something we may glimpse in the news, something that happens in faraway countries under foreign governments. Or perhaps it is something we know well. Perhaps we’ve experienced this kind of injustice in our own lives.

We might consider Fernando, a young entrepreneur from El Salvador. Each day when he goes to work selling cookbooks on the buses of the capital city, he risks his life. Gang members frequently target buses for harassment, making life for Fernando—and all those who live in San Salvador—dangerous. To many of us, this many seem like a remote issue, but for our brothers and sisters in El Salvador, it’s daily life.

We are called to live in solidarity as one global family, each of us made in the image and likeness of God. We are responsible for one another, for what happens to our neighbors next door and our neighbors overseas. Though we may not share Fernando’s experience, we are called to empathize with him and others. So then, do we stand silent in the crowd, or do we shout? And if we shout, what do we say?