Last week I was riding the B35 bus which goes through Flatbush. For some reason this bus is a favorite bus for “Bus Preachers”. They usually get on the bus somewhere before Coney Island Avenue and preach for about 45 minutes until Kings Highway, to what is almost always a crowded bus. This day there were no preachers and it was overcast. As we proceeded Eric noted that there were helicopters flying low in the direction we were going. As we got closer the helicopters were swooping back and forth. Approaching the area you could see flashing lights. Traffic was at a stand still. 20 minutes passed as we approached the
disruption. Another bus driver approached our bus on foot. He told us that there had been a shooting and that the gunman was still at large. His bus along with another bus was stuck on the block where the shooting had occurred. The area was a commercial area and the gunman had fired the gun in several locations on this block terrorizing the people shopping there. As we turned down a detour block there was silence on the bus as people peered out the window at all the police activity. We finished the run 10 minutes later and started the return trip. We were again detoured around the two blocks. As we got back onto Church Avenue a Swat Unit was unloading police dogs. They were ready for battle. A block ahead of us there was a man pinned down in the middle of the street with handcuffs on. The intensity of seeing all of this made one woman say softly.. “God Help Us!, what is our world coming to?”. The tone in which she spoke was more of a prayer than a curse.
Fast forward to April 2nd, Good Friday. I am now on West 37th Street with my church family waiting for our annual Good Friday walk with the cross down Mermaid Avenue.
The walk is 20 blocks through a crime ridden neighborhood. In any other neighborhood the walk might have been a little easier. It was a bright sunny day, and with temperatures in the high 60’s everyone was out along the Avenue. As we began walking, people stopped and looked at us. People would take pictures with their phone camera, some people gave the sign of the cross as we passed. People in bus shelters watched as they waited for there bus. There were about 400 people walking and singing “Were you there when they crucified my Lord”. As we walked along, people joined the march. Young gang members stopped and watched in silence. At times it was chilling to think how similar this was to the walk that Jesus took to his death. As Jesus took his walk there were common people watching this “familiar” procession of people being lead to their crucifixtion.
In the midst of the walk, a profound statement was being made. For a world that has slid to the utter bottom, God subjected his Son, Jesus, to be scorned and mocked and eventually murdered as an innocent man. In this world where people are destroying themselves and others, God gave himself so that we might be saved. “God Help Us!”, we cried, and he did.
Christ has Risen, He has Risen Indeed.
