On Beauty & the Wasteland - v.1 / issue 1 - Sacrament: Baptism
On Beauty & the Wasteland
V.1 / issue 1
Sacrament: Baptism
I am 3 years old, red-faced screaming.
A priest pours holy water over my head, baptizing me in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Above us looms a life-sized crucifix depicting a nodding Jesus with the 5 holy wounds. A nail in each hand. A nail through his feet, one atop the other. A crown of thorns on his head. And a side wound speared through to make sure he is dead.
I am fighting for my life. Kicking, punching, shrieking,
“NO! NO! I don’t want to die on a cross like Jesus!”
My family is there. There are pictures
I have heard this family story 100 times accompanied by laughter. My pain and terror is a family joke.
I am not laughing.
I am outraged.
I am crying.
I am wailing.
I am grieving.
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