Crown of Thorns

I made this piece for a project at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church in Burlington, VT for their stations of the cross prayer project. I wanted to share it with you.

Crown of Thorns

Kate Norris

Charcoal on paper, 24”x18”

Dandelionministries.org/art

The seagulls drop them on asphalt to break them 

To eat the Whelk meat inside. 

Now these spirals are worthless

to garbage dump birds and tourists alike.

But in my hand, I see a crown of thorns,

Heaven’s highest honor,

Earth’s parking lot trash,

More beautiful because it was broken,

For the hungry seagull

the scoffing tourist

the heart that knew better

the head that justified it

my hand that tossed the life aside.

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.  They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.

John 19: 1-3