One of the questions in our BSF homework last week asked us to imagine Simon of Cyrene as he carried Jesus’ cross through the streets, and what he might’ve seen, heard and been thinking at the time.

Here are a few of my thoughts — the scene through Simon’s eyes.

A few paces ahead of him — walking, at times staggering, flanked by armored guards though hardly a physical threat — was the man at the center of the firestorm, beaten, bloodied, battered.

To either side, also in Simon’s field of vision, were the crowds. He caught some of the faces surely, the range of expressions — curiosity, contempt, fear, anguish…

Even if his head was bowed from his burden, he couldn’t have missed the voices: some wailing in despair, others howling in derision.

His thoughts? That’s harder to say.

We don’t know much about Simon. He was a Jew from Cyrene, near Libya in Africa, whom Scripture says had come into the city from the country.

What Simon’s prior knowledge of Jesus was, how well-versed he was in the prophecies, or what he knew of Jesus’ claims — as reflected so scornfully in that crude thorny crown he must have noticed — we just can’t say. Undoubtedly he had heard stories and knew of the miracles.

But about the experience’s likely impact on him, it is possible to say something. Two of his sons, Rufus and Alexander, are listed in Mark and it suggests they had some standing in the early church.

It’s hard to imagine that Simon didn’t have something to do with this. In fact, it’s likely that he went home talking about his experience that day. About what he’d seen and heard when he shouldered that cross.

From that, the pieces had come together not only for him, but through him for his family as well, or so it would seem.