With students and staff at the University until close of business on Maundy Thursday, I thought it would be great to create a space for reflection around the events of Holy Week.
My first challenge was in finding a space – which just happened to the open room next to the Health Wellbeing and Development reception area on the bottom floor of Building A. I had to clean the space of furniture, signs and posters, and get permission to use the room, but all this done we were ready to set up.
Bruce, Steph, Jenni Forbes and I rolled up on the Palm Sunday afternoon to put my ideas and thoughts into place. We had no idea who would see what we were creating, but that didn’t matter. It was a space to stop, think and experience the events of Holy Week, to find ourselves caught up along with the disciples. It was an opportunity to connect in a deeper way with the journey to the Cross.
During the week both Christian clubs on campus spent time here. Staff members from Health Wellbeing and Development also spent time here, one even commenting that it made her feel like going back to church again. Emails were sent out to both staff and students to tell them about the space, not too sure how many read the emails, but it was a great space, and a great opportunity to bring the true meaning of Easter to the campus.
Here are some pictures and explanations for each area of the space.
As you entered the space there was music playing softly in the background, candles were lit (but unfortunately I could not dim the lights) and the invitation to move around the room in an anti-clockwise direction. To feel free to stop, read, experience and reflect on the scene that is before you.
As you turned to your right from the doorway was a scene from the turning of the tables in the temple. This was accompanied by the text of John’s gospel that described the event.
Next you passed through a couple of palm branches to head into Holy Week.
After this came the invitation to dip you finger into some sweet smelling oil and make the sign of the cross on your hand as we remembered Mary anointing Christ’s feet. Along with this was the invitation to write a prayer in the water bowl that was there.
From here you moved to the symbols of Christ’s washing of his disciples feet. The bowl, the towel and a jug were there as well as the telling of what happened on that night.
Further on came the ‘table’ where Christ sat with his disciples to share the Passover together. Here was bread, wine, grapes and other food to share. There were also cushions and the invitation to sit and eat, to remember and name, and write their names on the tablecloth; those who you would like to have joined you at the meal.
Next we moved to the silence and darkness of the Garden of Gethsemane. Questions and thoughts focused on the silence and the darkness of the night. How could the world sleep when so much was going to change – forever?
Surrounded by the purple cloth that the soldiers gave Jesus as they tormented him came the Cross. The telling of the death and burying of Jesus lead our thoughts as we gazed at the cross, the crown of thorns, the nails and a hammer.
In the centre of the room, and the last point before heading out into the world again, was a pile of white cloth. The resurrection and the challenge of taking Christ out into the world with us were symbolized by the offering of an Easter egg.
It seems that much of our conversation as a Church is in a perpetual cycle of reaction. We are tempted to exaggerate the neglected truth, and end up making incomplete disciples, either social justice disciples without Jesus or Jesus disciples without social justice. Then there are those special moments where Jesus and Justice kiss. I recently had a moment of that kind of romance, in Australia.