Stations Ending

It was 11 months ago that Under The Cross began with the explicit intention of meditating on the stations of the cross. Now we have reached the journey's traditional end I feel the need to think about whether it was worth it. The main thing I have learnt is how to use imagination carefully in prayer. I take notice of the Stations of the Cross when I go into a church now. I examine them and think about the artist's intentions. What was it they saw in this journey? The Stations speak vividly about Christ's passion, but they are not a reflection upon the past. To allow the stations to speak about living as a Christian today is to give them the freedom for which they were designed. I hinted at the beginning of this quest that I was not sure that the Stations of the Cross could ever be understood, and at the end of this journey I can stand by that claim. I know what each of the stations are, and can confidently pick out appropriate pieces of scripture to help reflect upon them. But, the stations of the cross have a capacity to show people what it means to love with a wounded heart. They speak in a different voice every time they are encountered, touching the present reality and calling for hope, resurrection and healing.