Even though Jesus was in great physical pain on the cross, His hands and feet pierced with big nails, His back torn apart from whipping and a crown of thorns pressed on his forehead, No words of judgement came over His lips. He did not cursed the ones who did this to him or to the people doubting or mocking him. What he did say was: Please forgive them because they don't know what they are doing. Jesus died the same way he was living and teaching. Speaking words of affirmation and words of encouragement. To the thief beside him on the cross he said: Tomorrow you will be with me in paradise. How about you and me? When we are in trouble when we get hurt, when we are disgraced, do we judge or do we forgive?
Living in a city as I am, in Malmo, Sweden, it feels natural to talk about bridges.In the year 2000 we got a bridge over the Sound to Copenhagen, Denmark. A bridge between two nations once fighting each other, now connected.We need to continue to build bridges, between different cultures, ideas, people etc. These bridges are harder to build but necessary in the society we have today.We need these bridges in order to reach people with the "Good news"