Good Friday is a day that almost doesn’t need anyone to preach on it – the story speaks for itself. As I was flicking through passion hymns in the book my church uses, I found one I hadn’t heard before by Vicky Beeching called “O Precious Sight”. The last verse is about resurrection, but if you leave it out and just contemplate the first three verses, there is so much there.

So I recorded a cover version and made a video set to photos I’d taken on various travels. It’s not perfect – the photos aren’t all in perfect focus, my singing has room for improvement and I’ve discovered glitches iMovie that means the video flickers in a couple of places. (Sigh.) Nonetheless, I offer this short video for those contemplating Jesus’ cross and the salvation it means for us.

If you’re reading this on a browser or reader that doesn’t support the embedded video, you can use this direct link to YouTube.

Photo locations:

• Aisle – Beverley Minster, UK
• Altar with icon – Kreuzkirche Dresden, Germany
• Cloister – Norwich Cathedral, UK
• Tree of life – Village church near Escrick, UK
• Arches – Tower of London, UK
• War memorial window – Church of St James, Manorbier, UK
• Indoor wooden crucifix – Chateau d’Hougoumont, Belgium
• Pieta altar – Katholische Hofkirche, Dresden, Germany
• Cross amongst candles – Norwich Cathedral, UK
• Window of Jesus’ betrayal – Beverley Minster, UK
• Outdoor wooden crucifix – Minstead Gardens, UK
• Cross of nails – Kreuzkirche Dresden, Germany
• West stained glass window – Beverley Minster, UK
• ‘Lifted up’ pair of windows – Church of St Peter & Paul, Olney, UK
• Fruit of righteousness – St Mary’s, Melton Mowbray, UK
• Outdoor crucifix and sign – Minstead Gardens, UK
• Hilltop retreat – Riserva Naturale Orientata,  Sicily

There are some really interesting stories behind some of these:

• in the Kreuzkirche, Dresden, the cross of nails was exchanged with Coventry Cathedral in the UK – both cities were bombed heavily in the Second World War;
• the crucifix at Hougoumont was nearly destroyed in a fire during the Battle of Waterloo, but wasn’t – this was a major boost for the morale of the soldiers sheltering in the chapel;
• the church at Olney which has the pair of ‘lifted up’ windows (the snake in the desert and Jesus on the cross) is the place where John Newton is now buried.

Probably there are more stories that I don’t know about.