Golgotha Revisited

The Easter story is an annual event that marks our secular calendar but which has little impact outside the Christian church. But even within that demographic there are plenty it does not touch.

It is an historic event that remarkably stands out for the non Biblical record which captured the teachings, death and resurrection of the man called Jesus. But despite that, and the “cloud of witnesses” to these events – more than sufficient to convince a Royal Commission or any other court of our own – it fails to impact us as it should. The reason is simple I think – if we accept the evidence then we have to do something about that evidence. A somewhat confronting choice that might force us to change the way we live, so it is easier to leave the whole issue alone.

But even those that accept the evidence are not always challenged by this event either. It does not always inform who we are or how we should behave. With these thoughts I approached Easter 2005 and attempted to capture something of how I often approach this celebration.
Often the thought is that if I had been there I would have behaved differently. Not denied Christ. Not fallen asleep. Not followed the crowd. Then you catch yourself and discover in your own heart the truth of the matter – that you would have kept your head down. So I painted this (with pastel) image of a garden, more subtropical than Mediterranean. I might not be asleep but I am hiding nonetheless while Jesus is bundled out the garden gate to his death. I am keeping out of the way. Hiding. As timid and as careless as the next person. Which only underscores the point of course – that any life changing interest in Golgotha does not come from ourselves. It is a gift – which is what Easter is all about after all.