Tuesday, March 31 - Were You There?

Scripture:

“Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’” — Luke 23:47

Hymn Focus:
Were You There?

“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”

“Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.”

Lent invites us not only to remember the cross, but to stand before it. The spiritual Were You There? does not rush past the crucifixion with explanations or answers. Instead, it asks a question that draws us into the scene and into ourselves.

To ask “Were you there?” is to confront the reality of Christ’s suffering and our relationship to it. Lent creates space for this holy discomfort. The hymn’s refrain—“sometimes it causes me to tremble”—names the response that arises when we truly see the cost of grace. Awe, sorrow, gratitude, and repentance meet at the foot of the cross.

The hymn’s simple verses move through the events of the Passion, inviting us to linger with each moment. Lent teaches us that faith is shaped not only by resurrection joy, but by honest engagement with suffering and death. We do not hurry to Easter; we remain with Jesus in the shadows.

As we journey toward Holy Week, this hymn asks us to place ourselves at the cross—not as spectators, but as those changed by what we witness. To be “there” is to allow Christ’s sacrifice to awaken repentance and deepen love, shaping how we live and whom we serve.

Prayer

Crucified Lord, In this Lenten season, draw us close to the cross. When we are tempted to look away, give us courage to remain. Let the sight of your suffering soften our hearts, deepe and strengthen our love. Amen.