We come here today to remember a man.  A man…

who had dreams,

who had those dreams shattered,

who needed time to think and pray,

who knew he was likely to die for what he believed…

A man of extraordinary religious insight.

A man who did die – a cruel death.

On this day we look at the cross, and we remember…

the betrayal of friendship and its consequences,

the casual cruelty of Roman authority and execution,

and how unreliable others proved to be in a crisis.

On this day may we also remember

that religious bigotry, cruelty and unreliability

are still a part of our everyday lives.

On this day, then, may we learn some new precepts for living…

do not avoid contact with suffering, or close your eyes before suffering;

do not maintain anger or hatred;

do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest, or to impress people;

do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature…

On this day we remember.

Rex Hunt, edited from M. Dobson, M. Morwood, Thich Nhat Hanh