EtS Station 2 - the woes

the Woes

(hope for a better world)

the second station drew from jesus lamenting and grieving over the hypocrisy he observed. the space was a single bedroom sized room (about 2 x 4 metres). down each of the longer walls hung murals. one with the title 'Woe to You', the other 'Woe to Me'. In the centre of the room was a table with paint, brushes, and printed instructions. on the end wall part of the film Baraka was played (chapter 13 - Yes, the one with the chickens).

Alongside each mural were the following instructions:

On the furthest wall...

Woe to you…

Use the paint to help create a mural calling the world into account.
Write or paint – leave your mark!
Just do something that asks for the world to be a better place.
Who do you wish to say ‘woe’ to?

and on the closest wall...

Woe to me…

Use the paint to help create a mural calling yourself into account.
Write or paint – leave your mark!
Do something that asks more of yourself. What do need to fess up to?
What in your life do you wish to say ‘woe’ to?

Each mural was an opportunity to grieve both outwardly & inwardly ... A prayer of passionate intercession, & a prayer of honest contemplative confession...

On the table the following words were left as an invitation...

Station 2: the Woes

Jesus called the leaders of his day into account for what they were doing – or not doing – not only socially, but spiritually. These people happened to be the scribes and the Pharisees. As people we have the same heart today. Who is it that Jesus would call into account? What are the ‘woe’s’ of our world, what are the ‘woe’s’ of our own lives?

WOE TO YOU

WOE to you scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites!

For you tithe mint, dill, & cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice & mercy & faith.

In these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others. You blind guides!

This is the journey of the cross: justice… mercy… faithfulness

WOE TO ME

WOE to you scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites!

For you clean the outside of the cup & of the plate, but inside you are full of greed and self indulgence.

You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean.

This is the journey of the cross: humility… generosity… openness… selflessness

and the results...