St. Longinus
Longinus was the Roman Centurion in charge of the execution squad that
first Good Friday. All the way from the arrest until the end, Longinus is
a central figure in the events of that day. Most of us do not know much
about him.
You recall, as C.S. Lewis once said about himself; ‘I boarded a bus in London
as a non-believer. When I got off the bus, I was a Christian.’ At the beginning
of that first Good Friday, Longinus was a long way from being a believer.
Three hours later, he was the one who said, “Surely this man was the Son
of God!” With his lance, Longinus is the one who pierced the side of Jesus
to make sure our Lord was no longer suffering. He was converted, bought
his way out of service to Rome, took instruction from the Apostles and became
a monk in Cappadocia. There, he was arrested for his faith and martyred.
He went from being a soldier of Rome to being a soldier for Christ.
Over the years, I have “spent time” with Longinus. I have written a number
of meditations allowing him to speak, to tell his story. I have used these
meditations in various ways, in various settings, on Good Friday. Listen now to Longinus speaking at the conclusion of his time at the cross:
“I was glad to see him die. Glad because his suffering was over. It was all
very simple. This was a son going home to his Father. He had shown great
concern for all, his family, friends, even us. Now, at the end, he showed
proper concern for his own soul. I have no doubt that the eternal God
proved to be his refuge and that he found, underneath, were the everlasting arms.
The people on the hillside moaned in curious fear and terror. My men were
frightened out of their wits and crouched on the ground with their spears ready.
I don’t want to sound braver than I am. I have had my moments of panic and
fear, but this was not one of them. For out of the darkness of Calvary, light
had shown into my soul. Out of the blackness had resounded in my ears,
the one word — “Father!” (1)
(1) The Rev. Dick Elwood (speaking for Longinus)
