Jesus was tested and tempted

prior to the cross.

and followers of Jesus

have endured testing and tempting

throughout the church’s history

often succumbing to the temptation

of cruelty, of murder, of genocide

to those deemed outside faith’s community.

History cannot forget the cries of slaves

whose lives, whose families,

whose souls were oppressed and stolen

by those of us

who represented Jesus.

History cannot

nor can the world forget

that the sisters and brothers of Jesus

were starved,

were sent to gas chambers

by those of us

who represented Jesus.

Observe lent,

but not only the suffering of Jesus.

Observe lent

in a spirit of repentance

in remembrance of the times

when we, people of faith,

heaped acts of brutality

on God’s special children.