The Roman Centurion

Beneath the Cross

He screamed, loud and long, screams that blended in with the sound of the crashing thunder that raced across the sky. Loins loosen by fear his armor rattling as if to keep pace with the sound of his knocking knees and trembling body. CRASH!! The thunderous sound rolled across the heavens resounding and causing the earth to shiver as it dissipates. This storm was putting on a most spectacular show, lightning flashed and darted from earth to sky and sky to ground, illuminating the dark HEAVENS again and again. “What or who had made the gods angry?” He looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of someone, anyone in the dark. It was impossible to believe it was only midday how black as the night the day had become. The hardened soldier and had faced down armies of thousands without flinching. So why was he so afraid of a little rain, thunder, and lightning? Then a voice cried out and could be heard above the sounds of the storm. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Those words pierced the heart of the man standing at attention, and his blood ran cold. The trembling intensified, and his body shook as if hypothermia had set in. Once again, looking around this time, trying to see how his fellow companions on duty were faring. At that exact moment, lightning lit up the sky, and he saw the face of the soldier closest to him. Bulging eyes, gaping mouth opened in a scream made soundless by the roar of the wind. He wrapped his cloak around his body as if the act would protect him from the elements of the day.

The voice above his head rang out again. “My GOD, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The solider tried to look up, but the rain was falling hard, so he had to close his eyes to avoid the water from falling into them. Another crack as the lightning lit the sky. Where was the mocking throng? Who only a few hours earlier were screaming for the death of the prisoner in the middle? The storm came on suddenly; at first, the sun hid behind a cloud. Everyone thought it was temporary, but the day only got darker as the clouds gathered. Then the thunder could be heard far off in the distance before anyone realized the day had turned to night, and the rains came down in torrents. Mostly everyone had left driven by fear of the sudden storm to seek shelter. As the onslaught from nature persisted, drowning anything that was not strong enough to withstand its deluge of water. He and his fellow centurions were on duty, so they had no choice but to stay and hold their positions until the prisoners were dead. The wind was now a factor as the gusts grew and became stronger each minute. It wasn’t just the strength of the wind, but the temperature, which seems to have dropped 30 degrees in a matter of minutes. It slices through every piece of clothing, including his armor straight to his bones. Terror filled his heart; as it raced in fear his adrenaline soared. He was in fight or flight mode, but there was no one to fight, and he was unable to flee. Terror rooted him firmly to the ground. His eyes stared into the dark as if willing the unknown to make an appearance.

His main prisoner was no ordinary man. His had been his prisoner from the moment they arrested him in the garden of Gethsemane. He watched him suffer at the hands of the governor, Pilot, and his fellow soldiers. The man took it with dignity and grace; not even his expression changed. He never showed anger or fear at any time. He knew because he watched the prisoner closely. This Jew was exceptional. He took everything they threw at him and kept his head up high and walked with the demeanor of a King except when stumbling in pain or under the load of the cross. What convinced him even more that this was no ordinary man, was the fact that the leaders of the Jews and even the governor himself seem to fear him. For the Jews, there was this unreasonable fear, which drove them to do things even the soldier would have second thoughts of doing. And the governor couldn’t wait to get rid of him and pass him off to become someone else’s problem. They had abused him all night, and when he looked at them, there was sorrow and pity in his eyes, where there should be anger and hatred.

The Romans held the Jews in low regard, with contempt, and reveled in killing anyone of them. They were a defeated foe, so their lives did not matter. All the other slaves they crucified either cursed their way to the cross or whimpered and sniffled like pathetic men. But this one he did neither. No words come from his lips regardless of the cursing and swearing that they threw at him. The soldier had asked the prisoner a question, but the way he looked at him with eyes that seem to pierce deep into his soul. Eyes that seared his conscience and brought to remembrance many things he spent days drinking strong liquor to erase. That was why he struck Him; he did not want Him looking at him with those eyes, which seem to read his every thought. So in desperation, he slapped Him to break the hold, this prisoner’s eyes seem to have on him. At that moment, the thunder pealed, screaming across the heavens, pulling him back into reality. It dragged the sounds from beneath the earth, shaking the sky and the very soil the centurion stood on, involuntarily he dropped to his knees. If the soldier could have seen who hid behind the clouds, he would have understood the reason for his fear and dread that filled his soul, which seems so unreasonable to him. The Father had come down to witness for himself the death of his son. But for humanity to be able to endure his presence, God the Father had to hide behind the dark stormy clouds. His presence caused the elements of earth, sea, and sky to tremble and convulse. The legions of evil angels and their leader had fled in terror from the Infinite’s presence.

Once again, the earth shook as the thunderstorm continue to make its presence felt. The gusts of wind increased, and the air charged with electricity danced around his body bent over almost doubled, tense as a snake coiled to strike. Only the danger was unknown and unseen. The soldier remained on his knees, head inclined slightly to the left, trying to avoid and keep the swirling debris out of his eyes. He heard the thunder rumbling in the far distance but was not fooled this time and braced his body for the reverberating shock of the sound he knew was soon to come. The heavens did not disappoint. Even with his eyes closed, he saw the lightning that lit up the canopy of heaven. Then it happened, and this was the biggest one yet. The explosion of thunder made his ears ring, and even though he was in a kneeling position, the vibration of the blast knocked him over to his side, and he lay there in a fetal position. Whimpering in fear and praying to his god for this electrical storm to be over. Unashamed and unconcerned of how he might appear at that moment because he knew anyone out in this element was feeling the same way he felt right now frozen in fear.