What does it mean to journey through the Stations of the Cross today?
The Stations of the Cross are an old Christian practice of journeying alongside Jesus as he is condemned to death. By stopping at each station along this journey, one is able to reflect upon and honor Jesus as he faces death for the sake of the world.
While traditional station use artistic depictions of each of the events, the reality is that for us today, the journey of Jesus can connect us with the Good News of God's saving work in the world. It should remind us that not all is at it should be, and because of this, we are called to imagine a world where love and justice flow like a river.
We invite you to journey through these stations at your own pace.
They are also on display in the church.
(You can also CLICK HERE to download a PDF version)
While traditional station use artistic depictions of each of the events, the reality is that for us today, the journey of Jesus can connect us with the Good News of God's saving work in the world. It should remind us that not all is at it should be, and because of this, we are called to imagine a world where love and justice flow like a river.
We invite you to journey through these stations at your own pace.
They are also on display in the church.
(You can also CLICK HERE to download a PDF version)
Station 1: Jesus is condemned to death
(Life Jackets on the shore of Greece, 2015; photo from Al Jazeera America)
“Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” - Mark 15:12-14
In our world today, people are still condemned to death, even though this condemnation is rarely by a court of law or a representative of the Roman Empire. People are condemned to death by being born into poverty. People are condemned to death by being born in the wrong time and place. People are condemned to death for doing nothing more than existing in the midst of unjust systems of oppression.
And people are condemned to death for the simple act of seeking a better life for their family, as the life jackets in the photo above show. Here people were caught in the midst of conflict by those in power, and did what they needed to do to save their family. Yet many of them were condemned to death.
In the midst of a world that still condemns people to death, how can we be people who reject these oppressive systems in order to see justice and life flourish?
“Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” - Mark 15:12-14
In our world today, people are still condemned to death, even though this condemnation is rarely by a court of law or a representative of the Roman Empire. People are condemned to death by being born into poverty. People are condemned to death by being born in the wrong time and place. People are condemned to death for doing nothing more than existing in the midst of unjust systems of oppression.
And people are condemned to death for the simple act of seeking a better life for their family, as the life jackets in the photo above show. Here people were caught in the midst of conflict by those in power, and did what they needed to do to save their family. Yet many of them were condemned to death.
In the midst of a world that still condemns people to death, how can we be people who reject these oppressive systems in order to see justice and life flourish?
Station 2: Jesus takes up his Cross
(Hong Kong police resort to pepper spray, tear gas during Christmas protests)
"The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe…Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." - Mark 15:20
What eventually got Jesus killed was not bad teaching, or mean words, or interpersonal conflict. No, what eventually got Jesus killed was because he was seen as a threat to the Empire of Rome. Jesus was a threat to the status quo, so much so that he came on the radar of the Empire, which usual didn't take notice of small religious squabbles.
And when a time came when it was less disruptive to crucify Jesus than let him live, Jesus found himself on a cross. This poor carpenter from an out of the way place in Judaea had become such a threat to the powers that be that he needed to be dealt with.
Today, the empires of our world still take action against anyone that threatens their power. Our unjust systems still resist any threat to their status quo.
To follow Jesus today is to stand in solidarity with anyone harmed by the empire, the status quo, or the unjust systems of our world.
Where in your life is God calling you to stand in solidarity with those harmed by the empires of our world?
"The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe…Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." - Mark 15:20
What eventually got Jesus killed was not bad teaching, or mean words, or interpersonal conflict. No, what eventually got Jesus killed was because he was seen as a threat to the Empire of Rome. Jesus was a threat to the status quo, so much so that he came on the radar of the Empire, which usual didn't take notice of small religious squabbles.
And when a time came when it was less disruptive to crucify Jesus than let him live, Jesus found himself on a cross. This poor carpenter from an out of the way place in Judaea had become such a threat to the powers that be that he needed to be dealt with.
Today, the empires of our world still take action against anyone that threatens their power. Our unjust systems still resist any threat to their status quo.
To follow Jesus today is to stand in solidarity with anyone harmed by the empire, the status quo, or the unjust systems of our world.
Where in your life is God calling you to stand in solidarity with those harmed by the empires of our world?
Station 3: Jesus falls for the first time
(Tommie Smith (center) and John Carlos make the salute at the 1968 Olympic Games. Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive)
“They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.” - Matthew 27:30-31
This famous photograph of the 1968 Summer Olympics shows Tommie Smith and John Carlos with fists in the air, using this public stage to stand for racial equality.
“...when Smith and Carlos jabbed the Mexico air with two gloved fists while the Star-Spangled Banner played they were doing so to highlight racial injustice, and to call on America to finally live up to the values set out in iron gall ink in its constitution. Nearly 52 years later they are still waiting.” - Sean Ingle
But what many might not know is that the third man, Australian Peter Norman, was not only present, but actively supportive of Smith and Carlos and stood with them, a choice that cost him in future endeavors. To stand against racism is indeed costly, as we can lose some of our privileges. But as followers of Jesus, it is the only way.
The more privilege we have, the more we must work to stand in solidarity with those experiencing oppression. And the more we have to lose. The more we might fall. But, we must be willing to fall for the sake of our neighbors.
In what ways are you willing to fall down for the sake of your neighbors?
“They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.” - Matthew 27:30-31
This famous photograph of the 1968 Summer Olympics shows Tommie Smith and John Carlos with fists in the air, using this public stage to stand for racial equality.
“...when Smith and Carlos jabbed the Mexico air with two gloved fists while the Star-Spangled Banner played they were doing so to highlight racial injustice, and to call on America to finally live up to the values set out in iron gall ink in its constitution. Nearly 52 years later they are still waiting.” - Sean Ingle
But what many might not know is that the third man, Australian Peter Norman, was not only present, but actively supportive of Smith and Carlos and stood with them, a choice that cost him in future endeavors. To stand against racism is indeed costly, as we can lose some of our privileges. But as followers of Jesus, it is the only way.
The more privilege we have, the more we must work to stand in solidarity with those experiencing oppression. And the more we have to lose. The more we might fall. But, we must be willing to fall for the sake of our neighbors.
In what ways are you willing to fall down for the sake of your neighbors?
Station 4: Jesus meets his Mother
(People visit a makeshift memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, five days after the February 2018 shooting. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” - John 19:25-26
On February 14, 2018, a gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others. This horrific act followed numerous other U.S. school shootings over the past 20 years, and sparked again the conversation about guns and the safety of the kids in our schools.
Wherever one is on issues like gun control and school shootings, what is clear is that America has a gun problem, and our young people are paying for the problem. And it seems, in spite of the fact that school shootings keep happening, we seem to lack the imagination to figure out how to end them.
Like Jesus’ mother on the way to the cross, too many mothers have had to say goodbye to children lost to gun violence.
How can we stand against violence in all its forms in our world today?
“Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” - John 19:25-26
On February 14, 2018, a gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others. This horrific act followed numerous other U.S. school shootings over the past 20 years, and sparked again the conversation about guns and the safety of the kids in our schools.
Wherever one is on issues like gun control and school shootings, what is clear is that America has a gun problem, and our young people are paying for the problem. And it seems, in spite of the fact that school shootings keep happening, we seem to lack the imagination to figure out how to end them.
Like Jesus’ mother on the way to the cross, too many mothers have had to say goodbye to children lost to gun violence.
How can we stand against violence in all its forms in our world today?
Station 5: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross
(Sam Ward/for The Washington Post)
“As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.” - Luke 23:26
Across America, even during the pandemic, thousands of people each day go out into fields, orchards, food processing plants, and numerous other places where the food that ends up on our tables is produced. These people work long hours, often in sub-par conditions, and often for less pay than other workers. What keeps them working in these conditions has nothing to do with their skill or commitment to their work. It is simply because they are undocumented immigrants.
Estimates put the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States at over ten million. And these people often do work that few citizens choose to do. They work hard and even pay taxes, yet enjoy none of the benefits that citizens do. And too often, they are the focus of immigration issues, and not the employers who exploit them for their work because of their undocumented status.
These undocmented workers help carry our economy, help keep food on our tables, and keep production of so many goods humming along. They carry the cross of this labor, not because they want to, but because they are forced to do so by their social and economic status.
How can we help ease the burden of our unjust and harmful immigration system?
“As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.” - Luke 23:26
Across America, even during the pandemic, thousands of people each day go out into fields, orchards, food processing plants, and numerous other places where the food that ends up on our tables is produced. These people work long hours, often in sub-par conditions, and often for less pay than other workers. What keeps them working in these conditions has nothing to do with their skill or commitment to their work. It is simply because they are undocumented immigrants.
Estimates put the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States at over ten million. And these people often do work that few citizens choose to do. They work hard and even pay taxes, yet enjoy none of the benefits that citizens do. And too often, they are the focus of immigration issues, and not the employers who exploit them for their work because of their undocumented status.
These undocmented workers help carry our economy, help keep food on our tables, and keep production of so many goods humming along. They carry the cross of this labor, not because they want to, but because they are forced to do so by their social and economic status.
How can we help ease the burden of our unjust and harmful immigration system?
Station 6: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
(Ringo Chiu/Afp Via Getty Images)
On March 16, 2021, (only 10 days previous to the time of this printing), a gunman murdered 8 people at various massage parlors in Georgia, six of these victims being women of Asian descent. This horrific crime comes after a year of reports from across the country that anti-asian hate crimes have greatly increased.
The fear and experiences and honesty that poured forth from the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community was heartbreaking and anger inducing. Showing how widespread anti-Asian sentiment is and how often it manifests in our culture of white supremacy.
America has a long history of anti-Asian sentiment, from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese citizens during World War Two. This has continued into our modern day, and has most recently been bolstered by racist myths about COVID-19.
As followers of Jesus, we must be vigilant to be anti-racist in all that we do, which means standing in solidarity with our AAPI neighbors. While we should be quick to wipe the tears from the faces of the AAPI community today, we must at the same time work toward a world of liberation and not tears.
In what ways can you stand in solidarity with the AAPI community during this season?
On March 16, 2021, (only 10 days previous to the time of this printing), a gunman murdered 8 people at various massage parlors in Georgia, six of these victims being women of Asian descent. This horrific crime comes after a year of reports from across the country that anti-asian hate crimes have greatly increased.
The fear and experiences and honesty that poured forth from the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community was heartbreaking and anger inducing. Showing how widespread anti-Asian sentiment is and how often it manifests in our culture of white supremacy.
America has a long history of anti-Asian sentiment, from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese citizens during World War Two. This has continued into our modern day, and has most recently been bolstered by racist myths about COVID-19.
As followers of Jesus, we must be vigilant to be anti-racist in all that we do, which means standing in solidarity with our AAPI neighbors. While we should be quick to wipe the tears from the faces of the AAPI community today, we must at the same time work toward a world of liberation and not tears.
In what ways can you stand in solidarity with the AAPI community during this season?
Station 7: Jesus falls for the second time
(Huna, by Sean “Hula” Yoro, and his twin Kapu. Photo by Kapu Collective)
Climate change is not only real, but increasing every day. While experts have a variety of predictions about our current timeline and how much we need to do, the consensus seems to be quite certain: If we are not willing to seriously halt human actions that harm our world, our world will continue to be changed for the worse.
The world that God envisioned was one where human beings lived in harmony with all of creation, and where every living thing was able to grow and thrive. Sadly we have lost this vision, and our exploitation of creation has disrupted this harmony.
We have fallen when it comes to how we treat our earth. But the good news is that Jesus calls us to stand back up and follow him.
As people of God, part of how we live in the good news of Jesus is seeking the good of all life on this planet, and doing what we can to fight climate change.
What is one way you can help our planet thrive this coming season?
Climate change is not only real, but increasing every day. While experts have a variety of predictions about our current timeline and how much we need to do, the consensus seems to be quite certain: If we are not willing to seriously halt human actions that harm our world, our world will continue to be changed for the worse.
The world that God envisioned was one where human beings lived in harmony with all of creation, and where every living thing was able to grow and thrive. Sadly we have lost this vision, and our exploitation of creation has disrupted this harmony.
We have fallen when it comes to how we treat our earth. But the good news is that Jesus calls us to stand back up and follow him.
As people of God, part of how we live in the good news of Jesus is seeking the good of all life on this planet, and doing what we can to fight climate change.
What is one way you can help our planet thrive this coming season?
Station 8: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
(“Stations of the Cross: The Struggle For LGBT Equality” by Mary Button, courtesy of Believe Out Loud)
“A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” Luke 23:27-28
“A chain of oppression stretches from the crucifixion of Christ to police harassment of LGBT people at the Stonewall Inn. Women of Jerusalem wept when Jesus passed by them carrying his cross. He urged them not to grieve for him, but for their own descendants: “If they do this to me, what will they do to others in the future?” I see a hint of the resurrection here in this image. When LGBT stood up for themselves at Stonewall in 1969, they started a liberation movement that is still on the rise.” - Kittredge Cherry
Too often the church has been a source of oppression for our LGBTQ neighbors, rather than a source of liberation. We as the church have much work to do to meet our LGBTQ neighbors where they are at, listen and learn from them, and stand in solidarity with them against systems and powers that oppress them.
How can you stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community this next season?
“A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” Luke 23:27-28
“A chain of oppression stretches from the crucifixion of Christ to police harassment of LGBT people at the Stonewall Inn. Women of Jerusalem wept when Jesus passed by them carrying his cross. He urged them not to grieve for him, but for their own descendants: “If they do this to me, what will they do to others in the future?” I see a hint of the resurrection here in this image. When LGBT stood up for themselves at Stonewall in 1969, they started a liberation movement that is still on the rise.” - Kittredge Cherry
Too often the church has been a source of oppression for our LGBTQ neighbors, rather than a source of liberation. We as the church have much work to do to meet our LGBTQ neighbors where they are at, listen and learn from them, and stand in solidarity with them against systems and powers that oppress them.
How can you stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community this next season?
Station 9: Jesus falls for the third time
(Art by Dadu Shin)
“We live in a world built by and for non-disabled, neuro-typical people. Even with increased education and understanding, and increased requirements for building codes through ADA, disabled and non-neurotypical people still have to navigate a world not built for them.
As the parent of a daughter that uses a wheelchair, every time I do something as simple as walk across town, I am reminded that our city is not built for my disabled daughter. Many sidewalk intersections don’t have ramps. Many accessible entrances are not marked well. And even places that are technically accessible often do the bare minimum, making it still a challenge to navigate well.
When I think of the world that God wants us to help build, I believe it is one where the default is accessibility. When we look at a space or event or building and ask, ‘Who will have the hardest time navigating here, and how do we make it fully accessible for them, so that rather than an afterthought, accessibility is where we begin.
To borrow some words from Jesus, those who find the current world the least accessible, will find that in the Kingdom of God, the world is built primarily for them.” - Luke Sumner
How will you stand against the ableism in our world, and stand with our neighbors for increased accessibility?
“We live in a world built by and for non-disabled, neuro-typical people. Even with increased education and understanding, and increased requirements for building codes through ADA, disabled and non-neurotypical people still have to navigate a world not built for them.
As the parent of a daughter that uses a wheelchair, every time I do something as simple as walk across town, I am reminded that our city is not built for my disabled daughter. Many sidewalk intersections don’t have ramps. Many accessible entrances are not marked well. And even places that are technically accessible often do the bare minimum, making it still a challenge to navigate well.
When I think of the world that God wants us to help build, I believe it is one where the default is accessibility. When we look at a space or event or building and ask, ‘Who will have the hardest time navigating here, and how do we make it fully accessible for them, so that rather than an afterthought, accessibility is where we begin.
To borrow some words from Jesus, those who find the current world the least accessible, will find that in the Kingdom of God, the world is built primarily for them.” - Luke Sumner
How will you stand against the ableism in our world, and stand with our neighbors for increased accessibility?
Station 10: Jesus is stripped of his garments
(Cal Anderson Park in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood on Dec. 15, 2020. Photo from Q13 News)
“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says: “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” - John 19:23-24
This last Winter in Seattle, dozens of people with nowhere else to go were forcibly removed from Cal Anderson Park. Actions like this are nothing new in cities like Seattle, where these regular occurrences are simply called “sweeps,” where human beings are swept from a particular area.
During these sweeps, it is not uncommon for people to lose important possessions and equipment, as anything not claimed by a certain time is thrown into dumpsters and discarded. People are stripped of their possessions simply for the crime of being poor outside.
While sometimes these sweeps happen in response to crime, the fact remains that our society would rather strip people of their possessions and discard them to another area rather than provide housing and support. And it is in the midst of this space that the church is called to be present and stand in solidarity with our neighbors in poverty.
How will you stand in solidarity with neighbors experiencing homelessness during this next season of time?
“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says: “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” - John 19:23-24
This last Winter in Seattle, dozens of people with nowhere else to go were forcibly removed from Cal Anderson Park. Actions like this are nothing new in cities like Seattle, where these regular occurrences are simply called “sweeps,” where human beings are swept from a particular area.
During these sweeps, it is not uncommon for people to lose important possessions and equipment, as anything not claimed by a certain time is thrown into dumpsters and discarded. People are stripped of their possessions simply for the crime of being poor outside.
While sometimes these sweeps happen in response to crime, the fact remains that our society would rather strip people of their possessions and discard them to another area rather than provide housing and support. And it is in the midst of this space that the church is called to be present and stand in solidarity with our neighbors in poverty.
How will you stand in solidarity with neighbors experiencing homelessness during this next season of time?
Station 11: Jesus is nailed to the Cross
(Andrew Nelles, The Tennessean)
“It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: The King of the Jews.” - Mark 15:21-22
“The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. had some radical words to say about poverty and inequality, many of them not making it into the often used quotes of his that we bring out on MLK Day. As a Christian, he saw poverty as not only a moral issue but a theological issue as well. An issue that would not be solved by a mere increase in giving or philanthropy.
No, to solve both racial and economic injustice would take a racial redistribution of power, and a re-organizing of our society. Equality is not possible when the power and wealth are concentrated into the hands of the very few.
The Poor People’s Campaign - both the one begun by MLK and the new one co-led by Rev. Dr. William Barber II - sought to bring this change to our country. To re-imagine what our country might be if true racial and economic justice and equality were made real.
In what ways is God calling you to fight for racial and economic equality today?
“It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: The King of the Jews.” - Mark 15:21-22
“The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. had some radical words to say about poverty and inequality, many of them not making it into the often used quotes of his that we bring out on MLK Day. As a Christian, he saw poverty as not only a moral issue but a theological issue as well. An issue that would not be solved by a mere increase in giving or philanthropy.
No, to solve both racial and economic injustice would take a racial redistribution of power, and a re-organizing of our society. Equality is not possible when the power and wealth are concentrated into the hands of the very few.
The Poor People’s Campaign - both the one begun by MLK and the new one co-led by Rev. Dr. William Barber II - sought to bring this change to our country. To re-imagine what our country might be if true racial and economic justice and equality were made real.
In what ways is God calling you to fight for racial and economic equality today?
Station 12: Jesus dies on the Cross
(Photo by Craig Ruttle, Associated Press)
“In theory, a person is innocent before proven guilty. However, the spate of black men dying in the streets proves that it isn’t always the case. How does a traffic stop become lethal? How soon after are justifications made based on character, not on actions?
It’s not as simple as a conscious thought: “This person is guilty because he’s black.” It is something far more subtle and far more sinister: an emotional reaction of panic and fear out of proportion with the actual circumstance.
Eric Garner was approached by police for selling loose cigarettes. Daniel Pantaleo attempted to handcuff Garner, for unspecified reasons. When Garner did not immediately submit, Pantaleo placed him in an illegal chokehold. Eventually, Garner was taken down. Three more police officers assisted in pinning Garner to the ground.
A video taken by a friend records Garner saying “I can’t breath” eleven times. Garner briefly lost consciousness. He had a heart attack while en route to the hospital and died an hour later.
“I can’t breath” became a marching cry and apt metaphor for later protests.” - Reverend Gregory R. Morisse
How can we oppose systems and law that harm Black people and other people of color in our country?
“In theory, a person is innocent before proven guilty. However, the spate of black men dying in the streets proves that it isn’t always the case. How does a traffic stop become lethal? How soon after are justifications made based on character, not on actions?
It’s not as simple as a conscious thought: “This person is guilty because he’s black.” It is something far more subtle and far more sinister: an emotional reaction of panic and fear out of proportion with the actual circumstance.
Eric Garner was approached by police for selling loose cigarettes. Daniel Pantaleo attempted to handcuff Garner, for unspecified reasons. When Garner did not immediately submit, Pantaleo placed him in an illegal chokehold. Eventually, Garner was taken down. Three more police officers assisted in pinning Garner to the ground.
A video taken by a friend records Garner saying “I can’t breath” eleven times. Garner briefly lost consciousness. He had a heart attack while en route to the hospital and died an hour later.
“I can’t breath” became a marching cry and apt metaphor for later protests.” - Reverend Gregory R. Morisse
How can we oppose systems and law that harm Black people and other people of color in our country?
Station 13: Jesus is taken down from the Cross
(Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe protest construction of an oil pipeline near their reservation in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Andrew Cullen/Reuters)
In 2016, in the face of a new oil pipeline in North Dakota that could threaten their land and water supply, members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe began a protest that would come to represent not just their particular circumstance, but the injustices faced by the indigenous inhabitants of this land since the arrival of European Colonizers.
This protest was about this pipeline specifically. But, as Kyle Powys Whyte noted, “Stopping DAPL is a matter of climate justice and decolonization for indigenous peoples. It may not always be apparent to people outside these communities, but standing up for water quality and heritage are intrinsically tied to these larger issues.”
Since colonization began, the Native inhabitants of this country have been subjected to genocide, forced removal from their land, indoctrination into Western ways, and relegated to poor and forgotton corners of our country. And too often, this has been done with the blessing of Christianity.
The cross we have subjected Native Ameicans to in our country has been cruel. And the church needs to loudly proclaim - and work toward - justice and liberation and sovereignty for the indigenous inhabitants of the land on which we dwell.
How will you fight for these things over this next season of time?
In 2016, in the face of a new oil pipeline in North Dakota that could threaten their land and water supply, members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe began a protest that would come to represent not just their particular circumstance, but the injustices faced by the indigenous inhabitants of this land since the arrival of European Colonizers.
This protest was about this pipeline specifically. But, as Kyle Powys Whyte noted, “Stopping DAPL is a matter of climate justice and decolonization for indigenous peoples. It may not always be apparent to people outside these communities, but standing up for water quality and heritage are intrinsically tied to these larger issues.”
Since colonization began, the Native inhabitants of this country have been subjected to genocide, forced removal from their land, indoctrination into Western ways, and relegated to poor and forgotton corners of our country. And too often, this has been done with the blessing of Christianity.
The cross we have subjected Native Ameicans to in our country has been cruel. And the church needs to loudly proclaim - and work toward - justice and liberation and sovereignty for the indigenous inhabitants of the land on which we dwell.
How will you fight for these things over this next season of time?
Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb
(A college by artist Eric Millikin memorializes the lives lost to COVID-19 throughout the city of Detroit)
200,000 and counting. That is how many people have died in America since the pandemic began, a number that is still going up each day. The loss and devastation that COVID has brought to our world cannot be understated. And indeed, our world will never be the same in a post-COVID reality.
For too many people - including Christians - what might have been an opportunity to practice love for our neighbors turned into political posturing, with something as simple as the wearing of masks becoming politically polarizing.
With the pandemic still present, and no certainty on the horizon about when things might return to some version of normal, our world is in desperate need of people willing to practice tangible love for their neighbors by continuing to take this pandemic seriously, because we are all in this together.
How will you continue to love your neighbors as this pandemic continues?
200,000 and counting. That is how many people have died in America since the pandemic began, a number that is still going up each day. The loss and devastation that COVID has brought to our world cannot be understated. And indeed, our world will never be the same in a post-COVID reality.
For too many people - including Christians - what might have been an opportunity to practice love for our neighbors turned into political posturing, with something as simple as the wearing of masks becoming politically polarizing.
With the pandemic still present, and no certainty on the horizon about when things might return to some version of normal, our world is in desperate need of people willing to practice tangible love for their neighbors by continuing to take this pandemic seriously, because we are all in this together.
How will you continue to love your neighbors as this pandemic continues?
Sources
Station 1
http://www.emilymdscott.com/writing/2018/3/9/good-friday-stations
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/09/a-migrants-journey-1-week-30000-people-2500-miles/404497/#img10
Station 2
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/hong-kong-police-resort-to-pepper-spray-tear-gas-during-christmas-protests20191225214636/?amp=1
Station 3
https://www.theage.com.au/national/tell-your-kids-about-peter-norman-20061010-ge3axk.html
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/aug/31/black-power-the-fists-and-the-fury-that-shook-america-and-inspired-generations
Station 4
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/08/florida-school-shooting-survivors-memorial-eagle-eye-magazine
Station 5
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/left-without-school-or-daycare-farmworkers-are-bringing-their-kids-to-work/2020/10/15/8a7ad3fc-01a0-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html
Station 6
https://hypebae.com/2021/3/anti-asian-violence-atlanta-spa-shooting-how-to-help-resources-education-donate-fight-racism-hate-crimes-organizations
Station 7
https://medium.com/the-climate-reporter/5-art-installations-about-climate-change-we-should-be-talking-about-8c310366194e
Station 8
http://jesusinlove.blogspot.com/2013/03/lgbt-stations-of-cross-shows-struggle.html
Station 9
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/opinion/if-youre-in-a-wheelchair-segregation-lives.html
Station 11
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/05/14/poor-peoples-campaign-begins/610110002/
Station 12
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/08/20/eric-garner-timeline-chokehold-death-daniel-pantaleo-fired/2059708001/
Station 13
https://theconversation.com/why-the-native-american-pipeline-resistance-in-north-dakota-is-about-climate-justice-64714
Station 14
https://www.michiganradio.org/post/faces-covid-19-victims-become-memorial-detroiters-lost-during-pandemic
http://www.emilymdscott.com/writing/2018/3/9/good-friday-stations
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/09/a-migrants-journey-1-week-30000-people-2500-miles/404497/#img10
Station 2
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/hong-kong-police-resort-to-pepper-spray-tear-gas-during-christmas-protests20191225214636/?amp=1
Station 3
https://www.theage.com.au/national/tell-your-kids-about-peter-norman-20061010-ge3axk.html
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/aug/31/black-power-the-fists-and-the-fury-that-shook-america-and-inspired-generations
Station 4
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/08/florida-school-shooting-survivors-memorial-eagle-eye-magazine
Station 5
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/left-without-school-or-daycare-farmworkers-are-bringing-their-kids-to-work/2020/10/15/8a7ad3fc-01a0-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html
Station 6
https://hypebae.com/2021/3/anti-asian-violence-atlanta-spa-shooting-how-to-help-resources-education-donate-fight-racism-hate-crimes-organizations
Station 7
https://medium.com/the-climate-reporter/5-art-installations-about-climate-change-we-should-be-talking-about-8c310366194e
Station 8
http://jesusinlove.blogspot.com/2013/03/lgbt-stations-of-cross-shows-struggle.html
Station 9
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/opinion/if-youre-in-a-wheelchair-segregation-lives.html
Station 11
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/05/14/poor-peoples-campaign-begins/610110002/
Station 12
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/08/20/eric-garner-timeline-chokehold-death-daniel-pantaleo-fired/2059708001/
Station 13
https://theconversation.com/why-the-native-american-pipeline-resistance-in-north-dakota-is-about-climate-justice-64714
Station 14
https://www.michiganradio.org/post/faces-covid-19-victims-become-memorial-detroiters-lost-during-pandemic