Wednesday 28 May 2014

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.

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