Stations of Light

During Lent I published some pictures and words to accompany the Stations of the Cross. It seems the 'Stations of Light', or 'Stations of the Resurrection' are much less well known. It strikes me that often, as church, despite our words affirming we are people of the resurrection, we are much more comfortable with struggles and sadness than joy and celebration. We fast during Lent with much greater diligence than we feast during Easter. We often seem more at ease with the horrors of crucifixion, than the mystery of Easter morning. We find it easier to believe in incomprehensible suffering and hatred, than incomprehensible life and love.

Of course, it would be equally wrong to celebrate the explosion of Easter joy without acknowledging the place of challenge and suffering in our world and in our faith; but I can't help feeling that generally, we might not have got the balance quite right yet.

In the name of balance, then, I offer these "Stations of the Resurrection", for your reflection:

The First Station: Jesus is Raised from the Dead

A man

Who walked this dust of ours

Now raised from death

Earthquakes and stillness

Force the question

Where now is Holy Ground?

The Second Station: Finding the Empty Tomb

An empty place

Where hope once lay

And fear now seeps

Darkness and confusion

As we seek

Our longed for Holy Ground

The Third Station: Mary Magdalene meets the Risen Jesus

A soft-spoken name

The call to our deepest self

Which speaks

Identity and Love

And sends us out

across familiar Holy Ground

The Fourth Station: Meeting the disciples on the Road to Emmaus

A journey

To walk away

From what might have been

Wondering and lost

Was this audacious hope

Such fragile Holy Ground?

The Fifth Station: Jesus is made known in the breaking of Bread

A simple meal

An invitation to the other

To share this bread

Feasting and companionship

Offers a gift of recognition

In this now Holy Ground

The Sixth Station: Jesus appears to the Disciples in Jerusalem

An upper room

A once so familiar face

An unexpected guest

Uncertainty and excitement

This place, a reminder

Of another Holy Ground

The Seventh Station: Jesus gives his peace

A blessing

With hands outstretched

In inclusive love

Forgiveness and peace

Trusted to create for others

A way into Holy Ground

The Eighth Station: Jesus strengthens the faith of Thomas

A scarred hand

Holding memories of pain

Offered freely but not cheaply

My Lord and My God

Passed through agony

That this might be Holy Ground

The Ninth Station: Jesus appears by the sea of Tiberius

A boat by the shore

Comfort in the familiar

Knowing everything is new

What was and what will be

Sent out into the normality

Of our everyday Holy Ground

The Tenth Station: Jesus forgives Peter and commands him to feed his sheep

A friendship restored

An intimate moment shared

Forgiveness offered freely

Repentance and restoration

Still welcome

To tread this Holy Ground

The Eleventh Station: Jesus commissions the disciples on the mountainside

A mountainside

The place of meeting

Of shared visions of what might be

Promise and challenge

Sent out

To create this Holy Ground

The Twelfth Station: Jesus Ascends into Heaven

A cloud of glory

The promised time has come

To find a new way of being

Ending and beginning

Leave the mountainside

To find your own Holy Ground

The Thirteenth Station: The disciples wait in prayer

A silent waiting

In prayerful contemplation

With God and with each other

Expectancy and hope

Knowing

This is already Holy Ground

The Fourteenth Station: The day of Pentecost

A new beginning

A precious gift

The confidence of trusting

Wind and fire

Confirming

No limits to our Holy Ground

In the silence

We stand on holy ground

Be still and watch

But not for long

It is time

To step out

And walk on.