The most heart-wrenching of all the Stations of the Cross is this one, where Jesus is being nailed to the cross. We'll have more photos of it at a later date, and especially those of Jesus and His face, but this one is about the soldier who is wielding the hammer.
It's not the most expressive of the bronzes at the Groom Cross, but it is certainly one of the ones that stirs the most emotions in me.
I like to take these sorts of photos when no one is out there; I have to almost lie down along side Jesus to get some of these and I garner enough curious and bemused looks when I'm out there photographing anyway, so....
A closer look shows that the face is much more crudely cast than are the others, but there's no mistaking the emotion shown: cruel glee, taking delight in his task.
That photo disturbs me, and is one of my favorites; yet, on the other hand, it is one of my least-liked photos I've ever taken there, as is the following. I know that doesn't make much sense and I cannot explain my feelings toward the photos, just as it is hard for me to explain how I feel about this statue. It's definitely a case of
cognitive dissonance.
This one gave me the perspective as if I were the one driving the spikes into His flesh; from an "artsy" and objective perspective, I suppose one might say it is interesting, but it really makes me feel uncomfortable.
I've visited the Groom Cross dozens of times, taken thousands of photos and I have also seen hundreds and hundreds of people who stop and look, many of whom let their dogs out for a walk (on a leash, please) and "constitutional" in the lovely manicured grass around the outer walkways.
Almost every time, especially since I've made a note to watch, the dogs will react to this particular station. Some will bark at it, some will growl and some have to be dragged by their owners to get close to it. I don't know if it's because the life-sized soldier bronze has a weapon, or... something else.
Perhaps I don't like the photos of the cruel centurion because I'm afraid that same look has been seen on my own face; seen by people I least wanted seeing it - by my mother, by the rest of my family, by my friends, by women I've let get close to me and...almost worst of all... by total strangers who were treated with less than respect by me and for no good reason.
How many times have I driven a stake into someone's feelings just because of my own cruel nature? I hope I've managed to atone, to at least apologize to those I could and hope all others have forgiven me or at least let time soften any cruel blows I sent their way. Forgiving myself is much harder, but I'm working on it.
Getting His forgiveness was so easy, though.
