Mae Runions

The Lenten Triptych

1988

These hangings were originally done for a ‘Christ and the Arts’ festival at St. John’s Anglican Church, Vancouver B.C. The Lenten portions of the Messiah were being performed that night. They now hang at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church during Lent.

These works are about Christ’s monumental suffering whilst bearing the suffering of the world. Universal grief is here. They depict grief in heaven (right), grief on earth (middle), and beyond all other grief, Christ's grief (left). The grieving Mother stands with us – hers was the grief of helplessness against human evil, against cosmic evil, against death. Added to that was the grief of family loss.

"Surely he has born our grief and carried our sorrows." Isaiah 53:4

Thanks be to God.