On the walls of St Paul’s Cathedral there hang two large white crosses that, viewed from a distance, seem somewhat uneven. Up close though the reason for their irregular nature becomes clear. There are intricate models of contemporary and historical settlements, that have been decimated by conflict, woven in to the arms of the crosses. These twin sculptures by London artist Gerry Judah sit at the very head of the nave, and at more than six foot high, they are strikingly imposing. The reality of the consequences of war, fixed to an instrument of death – which in itself is a symbol of life eternal, in a place that glorifies the God of peace. It’s a powerful image.

Lent, the six weeks or so leading up to Easter, are an important time in the Christian church. Its purpose is as a time of preparation for followers of Christ through prayer, penance, repentance, giving, and self-denial. For many people, the self-denial takes the form of fasting, most often by missing out a luxury from their regular diet. Coffee, chocolate or some other luxury.

Fasting and prayer have been a part of Christian life from the earliest of times. The Bible records how two of the earliest Christians, Paul and Barnabas, spent time praying and fasting as they sought to seek God’s mind and grow his church. As the focus on God takes over from a focus on the world, Christians can gain a new frame of reference and a fresh dependence on him.

And then as Lent ends, on Easter Day itself, it is to the cross that we come.

So often the cross we might find in a church is smooth, plain, unmarked. Sanitised even. But the reality was that the empty cross of Christ would bear the puncture marks of the nails that were driven through hands and feet. It would be stained by the blood and sweat of its victim. It would be crudely and roughly made.

The sculptures in St Paul’s Cathedral remind us that even though the world still hurts, the answer to that pain lies in the cross – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(March 2016)