Roots The idea of the first fall, not mentioned in Scripture, is traceable to ca. 1475 (Bethlem). Isaiah speaks of the suffering servant: Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4
Representation Flattened to the ground and convulsing in helpless struggle, the bearer of the cross is seeing in his fevered imagination visions of betrayal (flying rooster), of injustice (Pilate in a time capsule) and abandonment (the angel of God indifferently flying by) .What help is there in the cross?
Identification The cross is like a giant nail pinning us to the ground of our human condition. Not only sign of victory and redemption, the cross is also a mark of shame and defeat. In this sign, joy and shame are reconciled.
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