One of my favorite stories from the Bible as a kid was the story of Simon of Cyrene. He is the man who is pressed into service by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross for a while. His act is commemorated in the Fifth Station of the Cross. As a kid, I was always under the impression that he volunteered to do this because he saw Jesus suffering. But I guess the technical Gospel interpretation is that he was made to do it. Either way, I find it one of the more moving parts of the Passion story, because a mere man takes on the troubles of the Son of God, Savior of the World, the Boddhisattva.

In researching this story, I came across the definition of the name “Simon”. It means “hearkening” or “listening.” I had already been thinking of the children’s game “Simon Says.” Not the electronic version with the lights, but the version where you have a group leader, and they say, “Simon says: touch your toes.” Then you’re supposed to touch your toes. But if they just say, “Touch your head” without prefacing it with “Simon Says” then you’re “out.” Anyway, it strikes me as interesting that this game is all about developing listening skills, paying attention to details of what is asked of you, and who is doing the asking. I’ve not found any evidence online that this game links back to the original Hebrew meaning of “Simon” but it’s too compelling of a connection to ignore.

Similarly, it’s also interesting to look at Simon of Cyrene’s story in relation to the “Simon Says” game. Simon is pressed into service. He is commanded to take an action. He must listen.