Both the cruelty and wondrousness of humans transcends time and space. As we read this terrible story (with great care!), it’s imperative that we remember both of these things are true. May we remain eyes wide open about the complete betrayal of “We have no king but the emperor” both then and now. May we receive the miraculous gift of kinship with all who reserve allegiance for God alone; a God who is (liberating) love and whose way is (a just) peace.
Sermon begins at minute marker 3:54
Scripture: John 19.1-16a
Resources:
- BibleWorm podcast: Episode 732 - No King but the Emporer, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.
- ACLU press release: “Pentagon Releases 198 Photos Relating to Detainee Abuse in Long-Running ACLU Lawsuit,” February 5, 2016. [WARNING: while this link leads to a text only press release, some embedded hyperlinks lead to graphic images of torture in Abu Ghraib prison]
- Fremantle Prison and the cat o’ nine tails: “Difficult convicts were often sentenced up to 100 lashes. Flogging instruments included the cat o’ nine tails, a whip with nine knotted strands or cords, and the birch, a bundle of long birch twigs bound together by cord. Flogging was a brutal punishment that caused extreme pain and physical scarring. The last flogging with the cat o’ nine tails occurred in 1943 when a prisoner received 25 lashes. A prisoner received 12 stokes of the birch in 1962. Corporal punishment and hard labour were finally removed from the statutes in 1993, two years after Fremantle Prison shut down.”
- Image: No Kings logo
