Good Friday—Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from helping me,
from the words of my groaning?

O my God,, I cry by day, but you do not answer….

....I am a worm and not human;

Scorned by others, and despised by the people.

All who see me mock at me….

Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;.

They open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion

I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast….

My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs are all around me;
A company of evildoers encircles me.

My hands and feet have shriveled;
I can count all my bones.

They stare and gloat over me;
They divide my clothes among themselves,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

But you, O lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!

Deliver my soul from the sword,
My life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!

From the horns of the wild oxen
you have rescued me….
In the midst of the congregation I will praise you….

You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
Stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;

He did not hide his face from me,
But heard when I cried to him….

All the ends of the earth shall remember
And turn to the Lord
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before him….

Future generations will be told about the Lord,
And proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Many of the photos are mine – some are from http://www.freegaza.org/ and Reuters or AP; recent photos are from http://www.flickr.com/photos/imemc/, the archive of International Middle East Media Center; painting of Christ on the cross is from an exhibit, “Christ in the Palestinian Context” in Bethlehem: http://www.bethlehemmedia.net/photos_ed12.htm . Some were taken on Palm Sunday in Bethlehem; some in recent demonstrations against the ongoing building of Israel’s security wall in Beit Jala; some in Beit Sahour where the Israeli army recently built a watchtower; some show recent arrests and detentions; one shows victims of the war on Gaza in January, 2009; another shows a funeral procession in Nablus.