The Thirteenth Station: Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

WARNING: The photo in this post shows an unsanitized depiction of bodily injury and death.

​The photo that’s about to appear on screen is unsanitized depiction of bodily injury and death, and if you don’t want to see that, I suggest ending the video now.
 
This photograph was taken by Dave Killien of The Oregonian on August 29, 2020. We see the body of Aaron “Jay” Danielson, a supporter of the far-right group Patriot Prayer. He was shot in the chest and killed after participating in a pro-Trump caravan which drove through the streets of Portland and clashed with participants of the George Floyd protests.
 
Four days later, his suspected killer, an antifa supporter named Michael Reinoehl, was gunned down by U.S. Marshalls after they claim he drew a weapon while they were attempting to apprehend him. When President Trump was asked about the shooting, he praised the officers and said, “I will tell you something, that’s the way it has to be. There has to be retribution when you have crime like this.”
 
Reinoehl’s sister told NPR, “There's a lot of people out there who feel like violence is the only solution to fixing things now—people on both sides.”
 
Let us pray:
 
Jesus, you told us that those who live by the sword will die by the sword. You told us that violence begets violence. With your final breaths you asked God to forgive the crowd who crucified you. Teach us to break the cycles of violence. There are too many bodies being laid on the ground. Amen.