Friends of a Different Religion. Stations of the Cross.
by Pastor Walter Snyder

Q: Is it wrong to have friends that are not of the same religion as me?

A: It's not wrong. What would be wrong is if you compromised the Christian Faith (and your
personal faith in Christ) in order to please or accommodate your friends. While we might lose
some friends at times, a consistent, solid commitment to Christ in word and deed also is a
powerful witness through which God might not only give friends, but also might make co-heirs in
the Resurrection. You don't have to be "preachy"---in fact, it's better if you aren't---to do this,
just live your faith to its fullest.

Q: I'm curious about the "Stations of the Cross." What are they and are they found in
Scripture?

A: The Stations of the Cross remember various stages of the Passion. Some Lutheran, Episcopal,
and other churches set them up, although they are most used in Catholicism. I've seen several
churches that have plaques or the like indoors, but they began as outdoor shrines, where one
could "walk with the Savior," stopping to think and pray at each. They are most usually arranged
at intervals around the walls of a church nave. The traditional Stations trace a path known as the
~Via Dolorosa~ (Way of Sorrows) as Jesus was led out from Jerusalem to be crucified.

The Stations may be of stone, wood, or metal, sculptured or carved, or they may be painted or
engraved. Some are renowned art works, such as those in the cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. The
construction and use of the Stations become common somewhere around the end of the
seventeenth century and but they are now found in most Catholic churches. For some time, the
number of Stations varied, but fourteen are now prescribed by Roman Catholic authority. As you
read about them below, you see that some have Scriptural background, while others are derived
from pious fable or myth.

The fourteen accepted by Rome are 1) Christ condemned to death; 2) the cross laid upon Him; 3)
His first fall; 4) He meets His mother along the way; 5) Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the
cross; 6.Christ's face is wiped by Veronica (the origin of the story of the veil that supposedly held
the image of His face from that time forward); 7) His second fall; 8) He meets the women of
Jerusalem; 9) His third fall; 10) Stripped of His garments; 11) His crucifixion; 12) His death on
the cross; 13) His body taken down from the cross; and 14) laid in the tomb. In non-Roman
Catholic versions, the multiple falls are usually omitted, as is the Veronica Station.

A variant that doesn't follow these exact steps originated in the Vienna area around 1800. Its
eleven steps are 1) Agony in the Garden; 2) Betrayal by Judas; 3) Scourging; 4) Crowning with
thorns; 5) Christ condemned to death; 6) Meeting Simon of Cyrene; 7) Women of Jerusalem; 8)
Tasting the gall; 9) Nailed to the cross; 10) Death on the cross; and 11) His body taken down
from the cross.

Indoor settings are normally permanently mounted for display and use as devotional aids. This is
so for many outdoor Stations also, although some are only displayed during the Lenten season.
The outdoor arrangement is becoming more popular in many parts of the United States. Churches
will set them on their lawns, in their parking lots, or elsewhere room permits, often including
benches or other seating for those who wish to stop for a time to rest, contemplate, and pray at
each Station. They should not be considered as granting some special spiritual blessing; nor
should anyone establish special terms and conditions as to what or how visitors to the Stations
pray or meditate. However, when used correctly by faithful Christians, the Stations of the Cross
are a powerful series of devotional settings.

To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send email
to askthepastor@aol.com.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor, © 2002 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including this
disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and
redistribution. Translations into other languages should similarly note the United States
and any appropriate international copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural injunctions
concerning the property of others.