III. Jesus Falls the First Time
Sylvia Betts

When I accepted the invitation to participate in the 14 Stations of the Cross, I knew it would be spiritually rich - even knowing that God doesn't hold back, I had no idea what awaited.
Experiences like driving into a filling station just as a woman steps from the curb and literally falls on her face. We all know the humbling nature of a fall. Jesus fell.A book casually picked up at the airport which contained a passage describing the feelings of the Filipino people as they watched the men of the death march pass by. In their minds, this awful parade of suffering and death was the same Jesus experienced on the way to the cross.A grackle with damaged wings came striding right up to me while I was trying to decide whether or not to include the crow in the drawing. It made me think of how our souls can be bound by so many things - bound in such a way that there is no room for God's wonders.I couldn't stop thinking about Jesus falling in the dirty streets - falling into animal and human filth, falling at the feet of a crowd who stared or ridiculed. As I looked at the white paper, it seemed reasonable that first layer on it would be dirt from the floor of the studio. The face of Christ is obscured; his hands are not. The hands that blessed and healed now hold the cross, the instrument of his death and symbol of our hope. Crow is there with wings too damaged to fly. She is following along on the ground. Is the crow aware that a drop of blood from the head of Christ has fallen on her, blood which cleanses and sets free…
A special thank you to David Taylor for prayers, email, and the opportunity to participate in the 14 Stations. To Mollie Axtell, thank you for offering prayers as the project entered the last days. Thank you, Jan Garven, for caring for us.