Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, September 14, 2025
I found this fault on the neighborhood trail we walk twice a day. At least that’s what I’m calling it. You might call it a crack in the dirt, but that doesn’t sound as poetic – plus, I’m from earthquake country, so it makes me think of a fault.
I remember feeling three earthquakes that hit the headlines while I was growing up in Juneau, Alaska. The largest one, on the evening of March 27, 1964, registered 9.2 and lasted a very long four minutes and thirty-eight seconds. I didn’t know until I checked on its size and duration that it’s the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America.
What I do know is that it was Good Friday and my father’s birthday, and the vase of daffodils we bought to celebrate him started dancing around on the dining room table, while the light above swung back and forth. We were far from the epicenter, but kept anxious vigil through the night until we heard from relatives who lived much closer to it.
Geologists calculated that six hundred miles of fault ruptured and moved up to sixty feet, releasing about 500 years of stress buildup.
So I am wary of faults.
I am wary of faultfinding, too, especially if the finder is pointing the finger at me. Have you ever had the accusation hurled at you, “It’s all your fault!” Not pleasant. Faultfinding can cause stress buildup and ruptured relationships!
And yes, this reminds me of Jesus.
Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”
But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23:13-25 NKJV)
And so the faultless, sinless Son of God staggered and crawled up the hill to Calvary and literally laid down His life for us, choosing to die so we could choose to live.
That is why Paul can assure us:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1 – 2)
He finds no fault in us!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love . . . to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3 – 4,6)
We are accepted and blessed and without blame before Him!
And just like Jesus, we are His beloved.
Praise be to the One who loved us first!