L'exhumation du soldat inconnu

Anthony Fenwick is one of the artists participating in Hertford stns: A Stations of the Cross for Hertford.

His website focuses on one painting, L'exhumation du Soldat Inconnu, a powerful work that conveys the tragedy of the First World War through a series of panels which articulate emotion by body shape and gesture. Fenwick intends that the work, which has been exhibited at St James Piccadilly, St Mary-le-Bow London and Australia House, should invoke contemplation of our contemporary situation; "as we get on with our day to day lives conflict appears to be a constant backdrop, once again we have a new war for a new Century."

Fenwick's abstract painting, which will feature as Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb, for Hertford stns has much in common in style, colour and composition with L'exhumation du Soldat Inconnu.

For more information on Hertford stns go to the website for Hertford & District Churches Together and click on 'Events'.

Here is my meditation for Station 8:

Station 8 - Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Do not weep for me.
I go to prepare a place
for you to wait
in my Father’s courts.
I go to reveal a temple
not made with human hands.
I go to return and bring
the Holy City
from heaven
to earth;
God’s home with
humankind –
no death, no grief
or crying or pain,
tears wiped away,
the healing of the nations.
Do not weep for me
but pray.
Pray for the kingdom come,
on earth
as it is in heaven
for I go to reveal the Temple
as it has always existed –
the creation and human story;
His story.

Weep only for yourselves.
For the foot of human pride
will soon descend
as the armies of the Empire of power
ring this city
to crush this Temple
and destroy.
How terrible for mothers
in the violence
of those days;
it would be better
for children not to be
than to suffer
in the killing fields.
Cry for yourselves
and for your children,
cry for the mountains
to fall and hide you,
cry,
for the terror
inflicted by
the Empires of power
will be great.

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Zbigniew Preisner - Song for the Unification of Europe in finale to Trois Couleurs: Bleu.