Teen carries cross from Dyer to Jackson

For some in Tennessee, and various parts of the country, walking with crosses or flags has become a sight that is not seen as uncommon any longer. However, one 19 year old Rutherford teen made the trip from Dyer to Jackson carrying a wooden cross made by members of his church.
Zachary Eskew said he watched Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ with his mother two weeks ago and the movie, portraying the suffering of Jesus Christ through his scourging and crucifixion, inspired him to carry his own cross.
Eskew said he could not re-enact the entire scene of Jesus’ sufferings, but he said what he could do was carry the cross…and he did.
Although the idea seemed ‘crazy’, Eskew said the message was clear.
“Everything in this world is going crazy,” Eskew said. “People need to see that crazy isn’t always bad.”
The 40 mile trek took Eskew all day to complete, but in spite of feeling as if he could not make it, he completed the journey.
Beginning in Dyer at 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, he arrived at Jackson City limits around 3:30 p.m.
“I was sure I wasn’t going to make it,” Eskew said. “I had bruises on my feet and my legs were burning. When God tells you to do something, you have to do it, even if you think you’re not going to get there.”
Eskew was joined along portions of the journey by his brother, Tony, and another church member, Gavin Bonds. Bonds joined Eskew for the entire journey and Eskew’s brother joined him for a portion of it.