There are a number of lessons I learned in writing the story of Simon of Cyrene. Here are three that I considered the most profound, especially when likening them to the global situations we’ve dealt with over the past few years.

In writing Simon, there were many nuances, structures, and themes that had to be part of the story. This article dives into the creation of the story and why some of the choices were made regarding those nuances, structures, and themes.

What does She look like? What clothing is he wearing? What does her grooming tell us about her social status? Is he attractive? How much wealth does she have? What are his personality quirks? These are questions we ask ourselves about others. Often our own experiences, histories, and prejudices subconsciously answer those questions for us. What if a story focused on a different aspect of character descriptions? “Simon” does, and here is the why and how.

Years ago I set out to write the story of Simon of Cyrene, the man who helped Jesus carry the cross. The reason why had a long path that crossed many years, meandering in and out of moments of clarification, that ultimately led to the creation of this story. Here is how it came about.