Walking with Him/Ep1

This post is part of an extended 7 part Lenten series, involving meditations on the Stations of the Cross, as we walk towards Calvary with Jesus, step-by-step.

Lent has started but sometimes I don’t really feel it has. Christmas has that festive music which reminds you of reindeers, presents and good cheer. The whole city dons its best and you get lost in the hubbub of activity. By contrast, Lent is a much quieter time. Yet, it is an important season for us all. Just a few days ago, I missed the broadcast of Ash Wednesday service due to work commitments and felt a little empty. I said my night prayers and tried with much difficulty to “feel” the start of Lent. It wasn’t until I received a text from a dear sister in Christ that I recalled the devotion, Stations of the Cross. For most of my life, my knowledge of this devotion has been confined to the icons I see in churches all over the world, depicting the journey towards His death and resurrection. I can recall attending a few Stations of the Cross devotions in my earlier years and university, but never really reflected on their meaning. I perceived it as the narrative of His journey to Calvary and a “mental refresher” ahead of Good Friday.

Ascension Presents sent a timely video my way by way of “Recommended for You” on Youtube and I was reminded by Fr Mark that “this Lent could be different”. I could choose consciously not to just “go through the motions” and instead have a more meaningful Lent. Abstaining from meat on Fridays may seem like a good suggestion, but I realised to really find meaning in Lent, I had to take a long hard look at what I was forming unhealthy attachments to. The thought struck me, I had never consciously meditated using the Stations of the Cross and perhaps this Lent was a time to reflect more deeply on this devotion and maybe even put in my two cents worth!

The first station, Jesus is condemned to death, may hold a personal weight for many. Perhaps we have also felt powerless in the face of our accusers. Perhaps we have been hurt by people’s accusations. They may have accused us falsely of something we have not done or misinterpreted our good intentions. Jesus himself healed the sick, fed thousands and ministered to countless people in His public ministry. Yet, He was the subject of envy by the Pharisees who sought to destroy Him by hauling Him to stand before Pilate. Perhaps you also feel like you have been wronged by people and seek redress. It pains us even more when the people we are close to accuse us or hurl hurtful words at us. We feel like we have being crushed under the weight of their words. What I realised from observing Jesus’ reaction is His calm acceptance of these accusations. He did not respond in aggression or attempt to disprove his accusers. Instead, He appeared detached from the situation and allowed His innocence to speak for itself. Perhaps, Jesus is challenging us to look beyond the hurt we have suffered and to bear these struggles with grace. This is a grace that does not come naturally to us, yet it is a grace that will set us free, so much so that Jesus’ chains were perhaps already broken at this point. Though He was chained by our own human perception, He was already breaking the chains of sin and death.

The second station, Jesus carries His cross, reminds me of some of the personal crosses I myself carry. Jesus bore the weight of our sins on His shoulders and yet He did not utter a word of complaint. Yes, He felt fear about His impending death, in a moment of vulnerability. Yet, He bore the cross with grace and humility. Perhaps you are also struggling with a sin. Perhaps you are struggling with a broken relationship. Perhaps you are struggling with a problem that you have not shared with anyone before for fear of judgement. It is weighing your spirit down and you feel crushed by its sheer heaviness. Jesus himself bore the weight of the heavy cross as He journeyed towards Calvary. Everyday, we are all struggling with these personal crosses and sometimes we might feel a sense of desolation.

Recently, I saw a quote that reads “Instead of asking God, why me, why don’t we ask, use me?” and it changed my perspective of my own situation. I had been sinking into despair and realising that my situation was not likely to change and I felt that the burden of my personal cross was crushing me slowly. Yet, instead of viewing my cross as a burden, perhaps, I could lay it down flat, over the deep gorges of life, as a pathway to holiness, a refining of the soul of sorts! Perhaps if we change our perspective somewhat and view these struggles we face as a life-long preparation for meeting Him, we will see them less as “burdens” that we are shouldering alone, but more as opportunities to go deeper and deeper into trusting Him!

So yes, we will face struggles in this life, but remember we are walking with Him too in this season of Lent. Let us pray for the grace to accept the difficulties that come our way, to bear them with grace and to view our crosses as a path to holiness!

Credits for images: https://www.warrencampdesign.com/wcampwebdev/carryYourCross/opener.html