The Way of the Cross
Pilgrims for centuries have gone to Jerusalem to walk the Way of the Cross, to physically walk in Jesus’ footsteps along the path understood to be that of Jesus’s. They walk from near Antonia fortress where he appeared before Pilate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the tomb, a distance of some 600m. This encourages ‘spiritual imagination and the transposition of time and space’ (Sasha Grishin) drawing in the busy, claustrophic, bustling marketplace setting, the swathe of Passover pilgrims, merchants, natives and also the indifference and hostility to Jesus’s plight.
Churches have displayed artwork depicting each of the stations, points along this way, enabling pilgrims to follow the same route but closer to home.
Pilgrim Ways of the Cross: Through Art and Through Walking with trees as stations
So, here are two further avenues to do the same, one through online art the other through photos of trees (taken from one park). The latter suggests an outdoor pilgrim walk where trees become the stations for stopping and reflecting (instead of the art in churches or markers on the Way of the Cross and in the Holy Sepulchre) - trees that themselves by their shapes may help further musing. 7 of the standard 14 stations have been selected.
Maybe you can construct your own pilgrim walk drawing on the specific trees in your local park that resonate with you.
Pilgrim Way of the Cross through art
Those works of art with an asterisk * denote paintings from the fabulous Methodist Modern Art Collection. Clicking on these pictures will take you to the site’s picture and some useful text. Craigie Aitchison/Pink Crucifixion, Elizabeth Frink/Pieta, Philip Le Bas/The stripping of our Lord, all from the Methodist Modern Art Collection © TMCP, used with permission. www.methodist.org.uk/artcollection
Other painting credits: Andrea Mantegna/Ecce Homo (Behold the man); Maynard Dixon/Forgotten man; Untraced ; Caravaggio/The deposition of Christ, wikiart.org
Pilgrim Way of the Cross through walking with trees as stations
Those marked with asterisks (*) denote linked reflections from previous Lent journeys. They have some connection ( maybe!) and may be accessed by clicking the image.
