Juxtaposition in Jerusalem

Juxta-po..-What?

    Juxtaposition definitely isn't a word you hear every day.  In fact, I don't really remember learning about it in school.  I learned about similes and metaphors and hyperbole, but somehow juxtaposition didn't make the cut.  The first time I remember hearing it was actually from Adam Levine on "The Voice."  I don' know what he was talking about, but I remember looking it up because I had never heard it before.  I'll do the work for you.  By definition, according to Merriam-Webster, juxtaposition is "the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect the state of being so placed."  According to Grammarly.com, “Contrast is a powerful thing. You can see the light of the stars at night only because of the darkness of space. By putting two separate things or concepts together, you can create contrast. This act is called juxtaposition."  It also says, "Juxtaposition is when you place two concepts or objects next to or near each other, thereby highlighting their innate differences and similarities."  As a former High School Intensive Reading teacher, I used to have to teach this concept.  It's helpful to know that an oxymoron is a type of juxtaposition (i.e. pretty ugly or jumbo shrimp) except it's opposite things placed side by side, not just opposite words.  It's seeing something unexpected, something that just doesn't fit.  An example I used to give was seeing a limo driving through the slums.  You don't expect to see a limo there.  The contrast is stark.  It's the queen in all her splendor standing by a hut made of dirt.  It's a Maserati parked at a shack.  It's a sunflower growing in the middle of the grass (this happened a few years ago when our bird feeder spilled thanks to squirrels and a random sunflower seed made its way into the soil).  It's finding a brilliant purple petunia growing in the midst of weeds, as I did just the other day.  Maybe you already understood the concept of juxtaposition, but if not, I'm hoping now you get it, at least enough to get by.  Anyway, I've never experienced it in such a way as I did last night.  It was a moment that I'll repeat and relive in my mind often.  So, before I just give it away, let me begin at the beginning.

"The Story of Jesus"

    When I was a little girl, I participated in a passion play led by our preacher at the time, called "The Story of Jesus."  This led to a production company called Power and Light Productions.  Much of my life January-April was dedicated to this play which had anywhere from 8-10 performances each year.  When I got older, I took a break and went off to college.  Then, I came back and started teaching and then got married and then had 2 kiddos, and I don't know why, but I never got plugged back into the play.  Power and Light Productions went on to do a variety of productions, including "The Story of Moses" and "The Story of Noah," among others.  When I was pregnant with my youngest, I heard it would be the last year of "The Story of Jesus."  Something in my heart tugged and I wanted my kids to get the experience I always had.  Thankfully, my husband agreed to join in.  He actually played the role of a Sanhedrin, had a few lines, and even carried the cross for Jesus.  I was mostly just a regular mom in the crowd scene and an angel at the end.  Anyway, it was a great experience for all of us, and I am so thankful we got to be a part of such an awesome production one last time. Here's a few of my favorite pictures: 

    Getting plugged back in 2018 led to us participating in "Bethlehem Nights" in December 2021, which was a walkthrough retelling of the Christmas story.  We got to be shepherds and went between a tent and the nativity scene.  It was such a blessing to be a part of and a great way to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.  Looking back, I wish we had gotten back involved much sooner!

Here's a few pictures from Bethlehem Nights 😊

Jerusalem Times

    Naturally, when I heard a new production was in the works, we were thrilled.  Our lives are crazy, but we knew we had to make it happen.  So we made a commitment and showed up to practices, and this past weekend, we got to be a part of "Jerusalem Times," an interactive retelling of the final days of Jesus's life.  Once again, Aaron played the role of a Sanhedrin, while I played mom.  The kids and I were back in our tent for half the time and in a house for the other half.  In between, the kids got to be in a scene with Jesus ministering to the children, and we all got to be in Palm Sunday.  The production was on a rotating schedule, so we did everything 4 times, and were in the tent twice and in the house twice.  

Some pictures from our little tent

The whole fam

    From the tent, we couldn't see much, but from the house, we had a perfect view of the cross scene.  We were considered "good people," so we were just supposed to acknowledge what was happening to Jesus and look upset.  At the first practice on the set, I was trying to get into character as the young man carrying the cross came by.  The crowd was yelling "Crucify."  The Roman Soldier leading the way was whipping him.  I Whispered, "What are they doing?  Isn't that Jesus?  You're making a mistake" as tears came to my eyes. My oldest, Jurnee just looked at me and lost it.  It didn't matter that the young man playing Jesus was in his work clothes, the reality of what really happened hit us.  We both sobbed and held each other, which caused my youngest, Canyon, to cry too.  The three of us just stood there, hugging each other, tears streaming down our face.  From then on, whether at practice or during the real thing, when we were in the house and the cross came by, I couldn't help but cry.

I didn't take this picture (since there were no phones/cameras in Jerusalem, obviously), but my mom took it and sent it to me.  Our view from the house was very similar.

Getting to the Point

    So you might be wondering, what does this have to do with juxtaposition... I'm getting there.  Promise.  

    So back to Jerusalem, I think it was the middle of the second night, as we stood in the house watching the cross go by, that Jurnee said, "I'll just never understand. I'll never understand how they went from praising him on Palm Sunday to killing him days later."  I know we've all heard something along those lines spoken, especially as Easter rolls around each year and we reflect on the events of the Holy Week, but it's different to hear those words from an eleven-year-old little girl. It's especially different to hear them when that eleven-year-old is your own daughter.  In that moment, I knew she is really getting it.  She got baptized at 9, so I know she loves Jesus, but to see her making connections like that makes this momma heart so proud.  And I feel exactly like her... how did they go from praise to persecution in a matter of days?  I want to judge the crowd that crucified Jesus.  I want to look on them with contempt and confusion, but I am the crowd.  It is me.  When I think about my own life, don't I do the same thing?  In one breath, I praise Jesus and beg Him to draw me near, and in the next, I'm letting impatience or anger or just the craziness of life take over.  It's a constant battle of knowing what I ought to do and actually doing it.  I think Paul said it best when he said, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do" in Romans 7:15 and just a few verses later, in Romans 7:18-19, "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."  This is really the theme of this part of Romans 7, a constant battle of good and evil within us.  I think of the words from one of my favorite hymns How Deep the Father's Love for Us by Stuart Townend, "Behold the man upon a cross/My sin upon His shoulders/Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice/Call out among the scoffers." Or the words of David Crowder's song Red Letters, "There I was on death row/Guilty in the first degree/Son of God hanging on a hill/Hell was my destiny/The crowd was shouting crucify/Could've come from these lips of mine/The dirty shame was killing me/It would take a miracle to wash me clean."  I am just as guilty as the crowd that crucified Him.  

    So last night came.  It was our last night of Jerusalem Times and our last rotation for the night.  Mr. Mike, the director, told us to carry one real and one fake palm branch for Palm Sunday so we could give one away to the audience as we walked.  It was so cool to see all the palm branches waving in the audience!  At this point, we head back to the tent for a few more minutes.  Last night, we were late heading there, because someone was doing his usual potty dance and just couldn't hold it for the last 10 minutes (no names, but he may or may not be my middle child). We ran into the tent area, just as the cross emerged from the green room.  Normally, we'd already be seated in the tent, engrossed in a game using stones and pebbles.  But this time, the kids sat at the little cornmill, and I just remained standing, an onlooker.  The crowds for the last rotation were always the smallest.  This one was bigger than the other two nights, but still small enough that I could see the cross as it traveled down the dusty street.  Just as it was about to reach the end and round the corner out of sight, an unlikely sight appeared.  A lone palm branch was raised and waved up high in the audience right beside the cross.  Juxtaposition at its finest.  Praise next to persecution.  Triumph next to torture.  I knew the events of the night, and even the entire production, had led me to that moment.  God had a message for me, and I'm sharing that message with you.  May we live lives with LESS JUXTAPOSITION, less contradiction.  May our words of worship match our hearts and our actions.  May we live lives that aren't in constant conflict.  May we raise the palm branch in worship both on Palm Sunday and on Good Friday.  May we fight back against the flesh that wants to take over.  May we remember, Paul's words don't end there in Romans 7.  He goes on to say in verses 24-25, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"  May we also remember the lyrics of "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" don't end there either.  It goes on to say, "His dying breath has brought me life/ I know that it is finished."  The war against sin is already won; we no longer have to fight the battle of the flesh versus the spirit (more juxtaposition).  And Red Letters doesn't end there either.  Instead, Crowder ends the song with the lyrics "Thank You, God, for red letters/When the ground began to shake/The grace of God started falling/And I became a free man that day/The prison walls started falling/And I am a free man today."  

    The blood of Jesus has set us free. What I recognized as juxtaposition made me realize, what was meant for pain leads us to praise.  What was meant for torture is our triumph.   May we live lives that show it.  Raise your palm branch.  Raise it high.  After all, it is a symbol of peace, triumph, victory, eternal life.  The war is won.  Jesus is victorious, both now and forevermore. 

Here I am, waving my palm branch high 💚

Reflect on these final words this Holy Week:

The story doesn't end on Good Friday.  

The story doesn't end in our sin.  

Sunday's coming, 

And Jesus wins. 

More Jesus.  Less Juxtaposition.