The Stations: Dramatic recreation of Easter devotion depicts refugees' journey of suffering
A dramatic reimagination of the Stations of the Cross devotion will focus on refugees' journey of suffering.
The project will go on display in St Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London's Trafalgar Square on Tuesday and tells the story Christ's journey to the cross through the lives of refugees.
The exhibition was put together by creative director Marksteen Adamson and editor of Premier Christianity magazine, Justin Brierley. The photos will also appear in April's edition of the magazine.
"We realised moments in the story of Jesus could be expressed in symbolic ways by refugees," Brierley told Christian Today.
He explained he had wanted to reinterpret the stations of the cross devotional and Adamson provided the inspiration to involve refugees. The centuries old tradition involves a series of 14 images depicting Jesus' journey to the cross on Good Friday. Christians would travel from one image to the next, saying prayers at each "station" as a form of repentance for Christ's sufferings.
"We didn't want this to be photo journalism but artistic shorts that would remember Christ's journey to the cross as well as reflect on the journey of so many of those who have fled Syria and other countries," said Brierley.
"The aim is to give people a way to reflect on the crisis beyond all the headlines and news stories. Unfortunately we get compassion fatigue very easily in today's society. Finding a way to humanise the situations refugees face is key."
Brierley also urged the government to reconsider its offer to accept only 20,000 refugees by 2020.
"We have a history of being generous and hospitable to those in need and it would be a shame not to see that continue," he said.
"There is room for more than 20,000. That doesn't mean we open up our border willy nilly but our Christian heritage is about giving a place for the homeless and the refugee.
"Hospitality has always been an ethos of Britain's."
Some modern versions of the Stations of the Cross end with the resurrection although the traditional version concludes with Jesus' body laid in the tomb.
This version will end with refugees "left hanging" between death on Good Friday and resurrection and life on Easter Sunday, Brierley said.
"What was obvious in all the stories was these people were in limbo. They can't get on with their lives. I hope we can become the people of the resurrection we are called to be."
For more information visit www.premierchristianity.com/thestations