The Stations


Journey together

The Stations

1
Alone
2
Betrayed
3
Justice
4
Words
5
Outlaw
6
Humiliation
7
Burden
8
Compelled
9
Sold
10
Murder
11
Grace
12
Family
13
Trust
14
Borrowed

Station
7
Burden

This woman cares for her two disabled children in a cramped room on the roof of a house in Lebanon. Aged 17 and 24, her sons need constant care, which made the journey from her home in Syria extraordinarily arduous. Despite the difficulty of their living conditions, she shows remarkable dignity and courage, and is determined to do the best for her children.

By determining not to shrink back from carrying his cross, Jesus demonstrated his willingness to suffer in order to meet the demands of something bigger than himself, namely love. By calling on others to do the same, he challenges the tendency towards wanting only a comfortable life and urges us instead to engage with needs that are beyond our own.

A narrative of stepping up, of being willing to suffer for the sake of others, can seem out of sync with a culture so often focused on living a beautiful life. Significantly, it suggests that we have responsibility, not only for our actions, but also of our government’s.

Take up your cross, and follow me

The mother weeps with her disabled son as they sit huddled around an electric heater - the only source of warmth in their cramped rooftop room
in Lebanon.

This girl was severely mentally disabled due to a lack of oxygen and medical care when her mother gave birth while in transit from Syria.