Reflections of the Cross

Today is Tuesday, which means staff boy's bible study - or at least discussion, rather than study. We've been looking at the fruits of the spirit and particularly self control, which I feel is very relevant. The lads, however, tend to prefer to fall asleep or flick bits of paper around and I'm getting a bit discouraged with the whole thing - something has got to change, either me, them or the way we do things. Naturally (for me, anyway), I blame myself for boring each of them into a coma, and convince myself that being a teacher is not my gift. Anyway, as an attempt to stop beating myself up and also a release for my mind (so I can go to sleep instead of wondering what I'm doing wrong) I decided to look to the cross. Below are a few pix I had in my iPhoto library, I think all but the last one were found on the net, just searching for crucifixion, below are my thoughts on each...

This isn't your typical idea of a crucifix, but I kind of like the restlessness it shows. I can relate to it, especially with all these thoughts going on in me heed. And with feeling like God is speaking to me, but I can't quite process it or totally deal with what He is saying. This really looks like a strggle and its ugly and mixed up. I don't know if he's holding the darkness down, or its crushing him.

This image is far more peaceful. I'm tempted to say its too contrived, but at the same time, I like the sense of order, stillness, even holiness. I think it shows God in control, something we often forget when bad things happen or when we just loose sight of what He is doing.

This I like because it looks real and that somehow helps me to relate to the whole thing instead of treating it like a story. There's a deep sense of loneliness which makes me think about Christ suffering, and how only He could do it and how being separated from God must have been the most lonely experience He'd ever had. That also helps too in my own feelings of loneliness in trying to live for God or pursue a path that is unpopular.

I like the fact that there isn't really an actual cross in this image. Just the shadow. I like the idea that it was love that kept Jesus there, not wood.

This I think might be seen as kind of childish and simplistic and yet I like it because it shows the feelings of the friends, family, loved ones. Its like their response and somehow they seem to minister, love, pray even in their distress. I think it shows the support we can be to each other in suffering, or as we recognise each other putting things to death and the whole struggle that the process of death and resurrection brings.

I think this looks like pure emotion. Passion and pain, raw and real. It helps me remember that God is ok with emotion, I can be honest with Him, He understands, feels too.

I don't know if this is the most typical of crucifixion images, it's probs the oldest of the bunch and for a long time this kinda thing wouldn't have appealed to me because of the style and the fact that is so inaccurate. (Of course the modern ones are just as inaccurate, but this somehow seems to be trying to be). Anyway, this looks the most like torture, its brutal and for that I find it helpful.

Again I think this shows the emotion. It looks like blood and darkness and giving up and yet light and hope and something more. I like the way it's not relying on recognisable images to help give its message, not being simplified. I think God often speaks like that too, and we need to be prepared to see things in a new way, without just relying on what we 'know'.

I like the simplicity of this. The figure looks quite helpless and pathetic with his arm slung over the cross, hanging like a piece of laundry. I think it says a lot about Christ's humility and again, loneliness, yet with that pink background, something too of His passion. I find it easy to relate to Him too shown this way. I often feel pretty pathetic like things, life etc. are too big for me and its good to know that God remembers that we are dust but He brings life to our 'less than life'.

I know that this isn't really a crucifixion in the traditional sense, but I really like this image. I dunno if the sign he's carrying also says 'Jesus lives', and if he's putting them up along the road, but I like to think so, and that because Jesus lives, he has to tell people, and that means carrying chunks of wood on his shoulders in the blazing desert, like a cross. He is dying to himself and so in that way this is a crucifixion, convicting in a different sense to the others. It makes me think about my passion and how that motivates me in response to what I supposedly believe. Am I willing to die to myself, knowing it will cost the death of my will? Am I ready to look at that picture of crucifixion? the one that involves me?