On Good Friday, we remember the ruthless death Jesus endured in the crucifixion. This year, 43,000 animals died a ruthless death from a toxic train derailment in Ohio. It’s just one more example of eco-crucifixion.
[This resource is part of the EcoPreacher 1-2-3 series that helps preachers and congregations address environmental issues in their sermons and ministry. The Ecological Stations of the Cross is made possible through support from the Interfaith Center of Sustainable Development with editing assistance from Rabbi Yonatan Neril. You can access all the reflections as a full booklet here.]
Scripture: Matthew 27:35-36, 45-46
35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36then they sat down there and kept watch over him. . . 45From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’
Reflection – Ruthless Death
Jesus’s death was a result of decisions made by powerful men who would brook no disruption of their economy of extraction. Religious and secular leaders built a system in which the labor, land, and livelihood of the common people were used to enrich the elite.
In contrast, Jesus preached the “kingdom of God,” an economy of equitable sharing, justness, and compassion that privileged the most vulnerable. His message gave hope to a people who lived in fear. But it also threatened to undermine the power structures that enjoyed total control. So this is what drove the powers to murder Jesus. The crucifixion was a political act carried out with expedience and ruthless cruelty to quash a divine movement for transformation.
On February 6, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing a massive explosion and release of toxic fumes. Officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimated that more than 43,000 aquatic animals died as a result of the chemicals spilled into the creek where the derailment occurred. Residents reported pets and wildlife dying in the aftermath of the crash and burn-off. They live in fear for their health and the safety of their loved ones and community.
This is yet one more example of eco-crucifixion that is happening as a result of powerful decision-makers at all levels who prioritize expediency and profit over safety and health. The economy of extraction exacts a ruthless death on humans and Earth-kin alike.
Prayer of lament
Holy Jesus, your life mattered. The lives of those to whom you ministered mattered. The lives of our Earth-kin matter. Hear our prayers of lament as we watch the continuous unfolding of the eco-crucifixion all around us. Gather our worries, fears, tears, and anger into yourself. Transform them by your life-giving power into a movement of resistance to the extractive powers.
Jesus in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Read also:
The Last Rhino, Good Friday, and the Preachers’ Silence
The Crucifixion of Jesus is Now: Reflecting on the Passion in John’s Gospel
Turning Earth into Golgotha – We Need an Eco-Resurrection
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky and ordained in the ELCA. Dr. Schade does not speak for LTS or the ELCA; her opinions are her own. She is the author of Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019) and Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). Her newest book is Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation, co-authored with Jerry L. Sumney and Emily Askew (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).
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