Semana Santa

To the cross I look,
To the cross I claim,
Of its offering I do drink,
Of its work I do sing,
All in my savior,
Both bruised and crushed,
Show them that God is love,
And God is just.

At the cross you beckon me,
Draw me gently to my knees,
And I am lost for words,
So lost in love,
I am sweetly broken,
Holy surrender

What a priceless gift,
Undeserved life,
Have I been given,
Through Christ crucified,
You’ve called me out of death,
You called me into life,
And I was under your wrath,
Through the cross I’m reconciled.

At the cross you beckon me,
Draw me gently to my knees,
And I am lost for words,
So lost in love,
I am sweetly broken,
Holy surrender

And all the cost I must confess,
How wondrous your redeeming love,
How great is your faithfulness.

At the cross you beckon me,
Draw me gently to my knees,
And I am lost for words,
So lost in love,
I am sweetly broken,
Holy surrender

-Jeremy Riddle

Last night I walked the “Via de Crucis.” Following hundreds of people from my village in the dark, singing hymns, carrying candles and remembering the walk that Jesus took before he was crucified.

A group of people from town were dressed in robes, and one in particular was dressed in white cloths with a crown of thorns placed on his head. We had Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus and the two criminals who carried their crosses next to Jesus present in the procession. It was a very moving reenactment.

The singing voices were elevated up into the sky and carried away by the gentle breeze, and the warm glow of the candles created an intimate ambiance. The procession continued until the town center where the scene of Christ’s crucifixion was replayed. People knelt in the streets while the Priest prayed and read scriptures from the Bible.

I have heard and read the story of Jesus’ death many times before but something about this night was very humbling.

After being asked about some of the American Easter traditions, I decided to introduce my host family to Easter egg dying. It proved to be a little more difficult since the eggs are dark brown here but it was fun non-the-less. Later we had a mini egg hunt, and then I told them the story about the Easter bunny. They couldn’t quite understand some of traditions we have, (especially considering most of them are based off the beginning of spring, which does not exist here) but they enjoyed they still enjoyed the culture exchange.

I enjoyed bringing some of the American Easter customs here, and I enjoyed taking part in the Semana Santa celebrations of Ecuador. The processions here brought my focus back to the true meaning of Easter.

“May peace be with you.”