A walk through the Way of the Cross

Way of the Cross is an annual walkthrough experience for holy week at Butterflies & Blooms in the Briar Patch that takes the visitor through a biblical journey of the way of the cross.

Last week, Way of the Cross was set-up by Susan Larson of Lake Oconee Lutheran Church along the boardwalk on the habitat trail. As visitors walked the boardwalk, they would be taken through several stations that depicted a nondenominational story of the final events of Jesus’ life before the crucifixion.

“Each station marks a step closer to the ending of the physical and the beginning of the covenant by which we are all given the choice of eternal life,” said Larson.

The small exhibit was based on the book John Paul II’s Biblical Way of the Cross by Amy Welborn and Michael Dubriel. Each station was an excerpt from the book’s short chapters. The scripture texts at each station are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

“Growing up in church, on Good Friday, there were stations of the cross and that was the day that you walked around the church on your own time with a small guidebook and I felt so involved,” said Larson. “You feel more involved when you walk through it and people have really taken to it. It’s an opportunity to read these meditations or bring your own and just be involved.”

This annual event is set up in preparation of the Easter holiday. The boardwalk journey takes visitors from Jesus praying in the garden to the time that he is buried.

According to the introduction of the book, “The roots of devotion can be found in early Christian practice of retracing the path Jesus walked from the genesis of his passion in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, through the Valley of Kidron, along the streets of Jerusalem, and finally the summit of Calvary.”

The small exhibit has had many visitors throughout the years from citizens of Eatonton to many around the country who come to admire the beauty of Butterflies & Blooms in the Briar Patch. Way of the Cross offers all visitors time to meditate on the word of God and the choice of eternal life that this journey takes each individual through.

“We have had many visitors including church groups, Sunday classes and visitors all over the world that come to see the habitat,” said Larson.

Butterflies & Blooms in the Briar Patch has a variety of events like this one that occur throughout the year. To stay updated on what is happening, check out their Facebook page.