Christ in a Palestinian Context

Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday
Week of March 29, 2009
Mark 14.1-15.47

Today’s text speaks for itself. It is the heart of the message of the good news, understood best by those who suffer.

During the many months of curfew in 2002-2003, Palestinian artists, Christian and Muslim, were invited to submit paintings for an exhibit, “Christ in a Palestinian context,” set to open at the International Center in Bethlehem in February of 2003. Two of the paintings would be selected to send to Sweden for an exhibit there. When all the entries were in, 60 per cent of the artists were Muslim—and all but one of them painted the crucifixion.

This is all the more remarkable because Islam teaches that Christ was not crucified; for them crucifixion means losing and God cannot be on the losing side. But for these artists, the message of the cross was so strong that they risked betraying their religion to paint the crucifixion because for them the crucifixion is the most vivid image of Christ in the Palestinian context. The passion story we read this week takes place in the context of the land where these artists live—where even today Israeli soldiers can ride in on their tanks, terrorize the citizens and impose a curfew at any time.

Take the next two or three days to read the passion story according to Mark and reflect on the text through this image, one of the paintings submitted for “Christ in a Palestinian Context.” It was painted by Adibe Abu-Said.

View the rest of the paintings. (Click on the images to enlarge them.)

O God, your cross is powerful comfort for those who are suffering. Show us, your followers, how we can be bearers of your cross for those who suffer in your world today. Amen.