The Easter Story: Meditations in Poetry and Prose

The week following Easter last year (2019) I was struck with an idea. I love Easter. The solemnity of the Ash Wednesday service; the journey through Lent; the brief celebration of Palm Sunday; the deepening darkness as we approach the night when we remember Gethsemane – the night of our Lord’s betrayal; the horror of the crucifixion; the holding of breath as life is suspended on Easter Saturday – and the glorious sunrise lighting the world with the golden victory of Life on Resurrection Sunday.

What a journey!

Over the years I have written various poems and brief meditations about Easter. But last year was different. I wanted to do something special for Jesus in Holy Week. I wanted to praise Him in a new way. And He gave me an idea.

So I picked up my pencils and drew Him a picture. Literally. Like a little child will draw a picture for her Granny or someone she loves, so I decided I would draw a picture for Jesus. Because I love Him. Because, as imperfect as it might be, I could. And because He asked me to.

So I did.

On Palm Sunday, the first picture. Followed by another the following day and another, and another. Through the whole of Holy Week I drew. Sometimes the pictures took me 15 minutes. One took me 3 hours. Some I went back to after further inspiration. Others were finished in one go.

Are they good? Not really? Are they fun? No – some of them are not as they depict that week’s journey to the cross. Why did I continue then?

I continued because each drawing, good or not, happy or not, was a tremendous blessing. Each one gave me still time, silent time, to be with my Jesus; to consider His final week on earth – the meals He had, the times with His friends, the journeys He went on, the teaching He did, whilst in the background, unceasingly, the leaders plotted against Him to bring about His death.

It was a holy Holy week for me. I drew closer to Jesus in a time of change, when life was crazy and new adventures were on the horizon. And always there was my Jesus, standing beside me, His hand on my shoulder, watching as my pictures grew. I was aware of Him there so each picture was a quiet time of prayer.

But the inspiration did not stop there.

For the week after Easter I decided I would gather together all my work around Easter, with the exception of one beautiful meditation that so blew my mind when I re-read it I couldn’t believe I actually wrote it and so left it out in case I didn’t. I searched through all my writings, my poems, and put them together in this small book entitled The Easter Story.  It is a journey through Holy Week and it includes my little drawings.

I pray, if you decide to have a look at it, that it will bless you too, as it has blessed me in the writing and drawing over the years.

As Holy Week approaches – may it be a time of special blessing for you when you grow closer each day to our Lord Jesus.