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Barnes in Commonthe magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
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The Lenten Crossby Revd. Roger Hutchings
Symbolism is a very important part of Christian worship, whichever tradition we belong to: water, bread and wine are common to us all, and almost every place of worship has at least a cross, reminding worshippers of Christ. Many find great inspiration in objects which remind us of incidents in the gospel story. Of course some people's symbols are other people's dangerous distractions! Still, when we can use symbols creatively, they can 'speak' of God's love. The cross, with a Christ-figure, is about crucifixion - the suffering which draws us to God. The empty cross is about resurrection - God's 'yes' to all that Christ said, did, and was. The cross in these pictures is also a reminder of incarnation - God with us - because it's made from Christmas trees tied together. On it, each week during Lent, symbols of Christ's journey to the cross are placed - such as a purse of money, a whip, a crown of thorns. And at Easter, all these are removed and replaced by fresh, colourful flowers which symbolise the new life of resurrection. The cross is part of our Alleluia! |
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