Feeling religious in our hearts for being told from pulpit that it’s Lent or Easter season is not enough. It is also a time to have retrospective thoughts about the spiritual attitudes we foster when we partake in the Death, Resurrection, and second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. Do we internalize the pain and sacrifice of our Lord or are we traditionally spiritually activated only once a year?

Let us travel across the road and see ourselves where we stand at this time of our activated spirituality.

Face in the crowd ‐ Simon who was a bystander watched all that was happening when Christ dragged the heavy cross became part of history when he took up the Cross that he was called for. Are we bystanders in the crowd who watch the passion of Christ or are we ready to be a cross bearer? If we are attending, partaking, or following Lent or Easter out of compulsion, tradition obligation, or reputation then this experience of Lent and Easter will be an external gratification without inward change. We end up as superficial believers that touch the cross but don’t allow the cross touch us. Easter can only be meaningful if we are able to see and believe that the risen Christ is in our life situa‐ tions and to remember that every time we overcome life negating forces we have the resurrection experiences in our lives. That’s what I call the lingering taste of Easter. Close to cross but far from the blood

The Disciples, the called out community, observed crucified Christ from afar. There were soldiers who touched Jesus and even the cross but were never touched by Christ because they were blinded by authority, and they enjoyed the pain and helplessness of Crucified Christ. All they did was play (religious) games at the cross and shared the booty. Crowds with religious blinders viewed it for fun mixed with infused anger towards Christ, participated in this event but with different wave length of religion of righteousness missed the experience of being loved. Religious and self‐righteousness Pharisees and Sadducees came together and we can call it an unholy nexus to see that the common threat was excommunicated. Here we could see. Are we much better than them? They all missed Christ even though they were so close to Christ. Do we miss Jesus in our Churches, homes and in our work places? Did their religiosity prevent them from missing Christ?

Redemption in the Cross ‐Two people who stood near to cross were touched but were not as righteous as per our standard. One of the thieves found that Jesus and the cross communicated that Christ is closer to him in his experiences and Jesus assured him a place with him in paradise. The other person, a centurion, proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God experienced the joy of salvation.