Pat, Aya, J, and I went to High Street on Wednesday to take part in the Walkway: Reflections on the Stations of the Cross - "It is an interpretation of the age-old Christian tradition . There are fourteen interactive stations that are based on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are set up throughout the mall grounds to hopefully bring fresh insight to the events surrounding Christ's death and resurrection."
On a hill in the outskirts of Palestine, history was marked by an event so powerful that it changed the world.To some, the event does nothing more than mark time. But to millions all over the world, it is the epicenter of God's demonstration of unconditional love for humanity.
Here are some excerpts from the walkway.
Station 1 : The Garden"...He didn't because He saw you. Right there in the middle of a world that isn't fair. He saw you
betrayed by those you love -- in your own garden of gnarled trees and sleeping friends. He saw you, and He didn't want you to be alone.
He had made His decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you."
Station 2: The Betrayal (Jesus is Betrayed by Judas)"Jesus, on the other hand, lets us know how much God values man --yes, even those who betray
him...If you still doubt how much you are worth to God, Jesus' sacrifice settles the question once and for all."
Station 3: The Trial (Jesus before the Sanhedrin)"...all the principles of justice they affirmed and implemented were scrapped. They breached all their standards to condemn the one innocent man who ever lived."
Station 4 : Jesus is judged by Pilate
Sttaion 5: The whip (Jesus is scorged)The prophet Isaiah, foretelling the torture of the
Jesus, tells us,
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
Crushed for our sins,
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
Station 6: The curse (Jesus is crowned with Thorns)"Because thorns are the fruit of sin, then we only need to step in to humanity's prickly patch to feel a few thistles: Shame...Discouragement. Anxiety...."
Station 7: The Cross (Jesus carries His cross)
"The journey to the cross began long before. As the echo of the crunshing of the fruit was still
sounding in the Garden of Eden. Jesus was leaving for Cavalry."
Station 8: The Two Simons
Station 9: The crucifixion (Jesus is crucified)
Why choose such a horrible death? why would God allow His only son to experience what is probably the most gruesome way to die in all of human history?The sacrifice ion the cross reveals how repulsive sin really is. But it also shows us the awesome
magnitude of God's live. God put you din on his Son and punished it there, so that you would be
free. why? for moral duty? Heavenly obligation? paternal requirement? No. Go is required to do
nothing.
John 3:16 reads that, "God so LOVED the world, that He gave his only son."
The motivation was love. The motivation was you.
Station 10: The Mother (Jesus entrusts Mary to John)
Station 11: The promise ( Jesus Promises Paradise to the Repentant Thief)"We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve/ But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
...And when one prayed to him, Jesus loved him enough to save him. And when the other mocked , Jesus loved him enough to let him. He allowed him the choice, He does the same for you.
Station 12: The darkness (Jesus Dies)The darkness of Good Friday seems real/ It seems permanent. most of all it seems to contradict the promise of Jesus when he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light if life."
"SEEMS" is the operative word.
Station 13: The cloth (Jesus Rises)"...when the final piece of job had been completed, the carpenter would typically fold a towel neatly in half and set it on the finished work and walk away. On the first day of Easter, Peter crouched in to look into an empty tomb. He saw only the linens that Jesus had left behind. Imagine that a smile crossed Peter's face as sorrow was replaced by hope...The carpenter had left behind a simple message.
Station 14: Remembering Jesus
The walkway was an inspiring experience for me. It truly reminded me not only of Jesus' Love for all of us but also the times when i neglected Him...when everything just seems nothing and unreal. Nowadays, if not all then most of us only remember God during Holy Week because only then do we see the sacrifices of Jesus. It is only the time when we actually visit churches, it is only the time when we remember our sins, it is only the time when we realize our mistakes. And I'm guilty of this. I know that after a while all the reflections will pass and that everything I hoped to change will never happen. I try every year to follow His examples and be a service to other people...to be selfless, to learn to love those who hate, to understand the meaning of sacrifice. However, I still forget Him and ignore Him....and it pains me to remember those times when i did because i know that i could've prevented myself from neglecting Him. And with this, I ask for forgiveness to the Man who loved me more than anyone else in the world.
"He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you"
