The Things He Carried

Book excerpt: The inspiration for this series of reflections initially came from Tim O Brien's collection of short stories reflecting on his time in Vietnam called The Things They Carried. In these stories we don't just hear about the physical things that the soldiers carry, but also their terrors and dreams. The author has taken this idea and applied it to the Passion, focussing on the things that Jesus carried: not just the cross itself, but the crown of thorns he was forced to wear, the seamless robe that was taken from him, the other burdens that we laid upon him, and also the hopes and fears that he carried in his heart and that are reflected in the different passion narratives. The idea was further developed for the 2006 Good Friday 'Three Hours' service at St Paul's Cathedral and it is these reflections that have now been expanded and developed into this book. Suitable for Lenten study, either for groups or individuals, the engagingly written meditations will have a life beyond Lent and will bear repeated reading.