Simpson
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle A
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him." So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" (19:1--6a)
Steve and Maria Garner wrote a song named "Simpson" based on a true story. In the song, they reflect on being eleven years old and making fun of a boy named Leonard Simpson who lived in the neighborhood. There were a lot of reasons for picking on Simpson. He was obese. His father gave him haircuts. He wore bibbed overalls with sleeveless underwear and high--topped army boots. He also had a crush on the not--so--pretty girl who lived next door to him. Yeah, Simpson was an easy target - a fat kid who looked funny and had ugly friends. The neighborhood kids even developed a chant: "Fatty, fatty, fatty, fatty two--by--four. We saw you hug the ugly girl next door."
At one point, the neighborhood kids played a cruel prank on Simpson. They invited him to join their club. On the clubhouse door, they wrote his name like the other members, and just as he thought the popular kids in the neighborhood might accept him, they threw mud at Simpson's name. Not only did they cover Simpson's name, but they also covered any hope he had of belonging.
Well, life went on. The children grew up and went different directions. Eighteen years passed before the Garners heard about Leonard Simpson again. Simpson witnessed a young African--American boy being picked on by a gang. Undoubtedly because he had endured similar cruel treatment as a youngster, Simpson couldn't stand idly by. He jumped into the fracas to protect the young boy. In the process, the gang beat Simpson to death with chains. The obese kid, who dressed oddly, died as a hero.
In the last stanza of the song, the Garners reflect on life - how there are successes and losses. Mainly they reflect on the parallel between the death of Leonard Simpson and the death of Jesus Christ. Both had been misunderstood and treated cruelly. Both had been unmercifully mocked. Both had been flogged and died tragically at a young age. But what is most important, both gave their lives so that others might live.
Steve and Maria Garner wrote a song named "Simpson" based on a true story. In the song, they reflect on being eleven years old and making fun of a boy named Leonard Simpson who lived in the neighborhood. There were a lot of reasons for picking on Simpson. He was obese. His father gave him haircuts. He wore bibbed overalls with sleeveless underwear and high--topped army boots. He also had a crush on the not--so--pretty girl who lived next door to him. Yeah, Simpson was an easy target - a fat kid who looked funny and had ugly friends. The neighborhood kids even developed a chant: "Fatty, fatty, fatty, fatty two--by--four. We saw you hug the ugly girl next door."
At one point, the neighborhood kids played a cruel prank on Simpson. They invited him to join their club. On the clubhouse door, they wrote his name like the other members, and just as he thought the popular kids in the neighborhood might accept him, they threw mud at Simpson's name. Not only did they cover Simpson's name, but they also covered any hope he had of belonging.
Well, life went on. The children grew up and went different directions. Eighteen years passed before the Garners heard about Leonard Simpson again. Simpson witnessed a young African--American boy being picked on by a gang. Undoubtedly because he had endured similar cruel treatment as a youngster, Simpson couldn't stand idly by. He jumped into the fracas to protect the young boy. In the process, the gang beat Simpson to death with chains. The obese kid, who dressed oddly, died as a hero.
In the last stanza of the song, the Garners reflect on life - how there are successes and losses. Mainly they reflect on the parallel between the death of Leonard Simpson and the death of Jesus Christ. Both had been misunderstood and treated cruelly. Both had been unmercifully mocked. Both had been flogged and died tragically at a young age. But what is most important, both gave their lives so that others might live.
