The Thorn Crown Maker

Making a crown of thorns doesn’t come without pain. Maybe deep wounds and bloody hands.

That was my thought as I got poked multiple times while spontaneously making the scraps of my lemon tree trimmings into a crown shape. I think I just wanted to see what it was like to make one. And there it is. The long intimidating lemon tree thorns ready to puncture or scratch whatever flesh comes near.

Something about the physicalness of this object feels timeless. Like I’m transported by it to the time when the crown of thorns we hear about so often was created. I wonder who made it. Were they careful or did they get hurt, too? I imagine they may have thought it was a good idea at first and then when they felt the pain may have rethought their plan. Maybe they changed their mind but pride kept them creating the crown so as not to look weak.

Or maybe they wore gloves and had protection from the daggery sharp needles.

However it came to be, I wonder what the outcome of the life that created it was. Did they ever regret their creation? Did they find the forgiveness they were offered for their hateful act? Did they ever find they were immeasurably loved by the man they were offended by, even in their offense?

And did they find that the crown they meant for shame was used to glorify the God of heaven? And then, did they understand their creation would forever be remembered as a lesson: That even in our rejection of God, humanity cannot adequately deny their creator.

Whether we understand it or not, deny or believe, protest or accept, crown him with thorns or gold and jewels, he is still the King of the Jews. He is still our creator. He still loves us with an everlasting love. And we can choose, just like the thorn crown maker, to follow him, no matter how many lies we believed about him. No matter how many crowns of thorns we made for him. He has forgiven us. We just have to ask if we are ready to receive it. To rest in the truth of it. To reject the lies we’ve been told and to trust. Trust the one who wore the crown so we could return to him a new creation. With new hearts. And live in an everlasting love we were made for.