One common way to commemorate Good Friday is to reflect on the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. This evening I went to All Saints Episcopal Church of Beverly Hills. There was a collection of artwork connected with the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. At each station there was also an essay which I was told by one of the ushers was prepared independently of the artwork.
Individuals who came into the service were invited to enter the sanctuary and to view the stations in any order they wished. I decided to reflect on the sayings and artwork and but not read the written essays. I jotted initial thoughts in my journal and I'm expanding on those ideas in this blog post.
The first station, "Woman behold your son..." (John 19:26) appeared to be a Mary statue with a video iPod on it. The iPod flashed pictures of various people. Contemplating this reminded me of how Jesus always thought about other people. Thus, while even dying on the cross, he was thinking about his mother Mary and providing for her future by asking the disciple whom he loved to take care of her.
The second station I saw was "My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me," the saying of Jesus found in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. At the station, there was a painting of a torn cloak. This exclamation by Jesus showed the separation between a holy God and the consequences of sin that he bore on the cross. Jesus who had never been separated from God was torn away from God at that moment. How that worked theologically I have no idea. The artist showed this trauma very simply by showing a cloak on the ground that was torn into two pieces: a larger piece and a lonely smaller piece.
The third station, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) was a statue of a tree with fruit hanging from its branches. Some of the fruit were split in half and on the inner face of the fruit were line drawings of human faces. There were two fruit that were not open. What did that mean? In my mind, a tree with fruit symbolized the Genesis story of man's fall. The tree of the fall was overcome by the tree of Calvary, of Jesus on the Cross. As for the split open fruit, I felt that the artist might be trying to show that humanity is fractured because of sin. And each split fruit had a picture of a human face making personal the fall. The fall isn't just an abstract theological concept but the reality of individuals. Perhaps the unopened fruit symbolized some people's ignorance of their fallen state?
The fourth station I saw bore the title, "Father into thy hands I commit my spirit" drawn from Luke 23:46. There were seven engraving prints on the floor that looked identical. Each had a classic image of Jesus on the cross on a hill. I suppose the choice of seven (the symbolic number of completeness and perfection) such prints was the artist way of communicating that Jesus' mission was completed by his death on the cross. The other part of the station were three somewhat abstract drawings that appeared to be pencil on glass. Three images could be a reference to the Trinity but perhaps it was incidental to the visual parable. One of the drawings appeared to be a shaft of light coming from above though there were some crosshatching marks suggesting other light sources coming from other directions but the vertical shaft was dominant. The second image had lines going in various directions but the obvious object appeared to be kind of a rectangular structure at the bottom suggestive of an altar where sacrifices would be placed. The third image again was a series of lines with the most notable being tight lines on the right-hand side perhaps forming a wall. Taken together these might be symbols of where things stand because of Jesus: he is the light of the world, he is the effectual sacrifice and until we receive him, the wall between a holy God and broken and sinful humanity remains.
The fifth station was entitled, "I thirst," from John 19:28. There was an uprooted tree hanging above a pot. The tree had no leaves. Next to the tree were two seated people reading various verses about the suffering savior. As I reflected on the scene, I thought about the isolation of Jesus on the cross. I am grateful for the benefit of what Jesus did for me on the cross. I'm moved and humbled by the tremendous cost. Death on the cross was the one of the most brutal. But in addition to that kind of death was Jesus living amongst us. Him who knew the full freedom of divinity confined himself to frail flesh. He who could still the raging waters reduced to saying, I thirst.
The sixth station was called, "It is finished," (John 19:30) and was a series of five paintings. I didn't sense there was a progression from painting to painting. They appeared to be black ink on vellum. Each design has a circular portion on the top part. Attached to the bottom of the circle was a roughly rectangular shaped area. The bottom rectangular shaped area had fairly frightening images of dragons, of anguished faces and other odd shapes that evoke a sense of discomfort. Connected to these were the circular portions which had more pleasant images. The images didn't have any obvious symbolic meanings to me but they were of shapes that didn't cause discomfort like the bottom images. Perhaps, the artist had in mind that through Jesus incarnation, the bridging of the Divine and the good with sinful humanity was taking place?
The seventh station I contemplated was entitled, "Truly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise" from Luke 23: 43. The station had a chair covered in a white sheet placed in front of a panel of candles and incense. At the center of this altar piece was a cross that had candles. Additionally, there was a string of blinking Christmas lights. Behind and above this altar area was a screen where projected images of clouds and light patterns danced. The final element was the soft playing of soothing classical music. The firelight from the candles, the choice of soft white Christmas lights as opposed to bright gaudy colors combined with the video projections of clouds and light and the calming classical music created an environment of rest and peace. To the thief who repented, his hearing from Jesus that he would be welcome to paradise would be indeed a soothing thing. For me today, stained by sin, beaten up by difficulties and wearied by busyness, the Cross brings me to paradise in part with the fulness of it to be experienced upon my meeting Jesus.
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