The final in our series contemplating the cross, guided by Rowan Williams' book 'God With Us'. This week, on Palm Sunday, we join with the crowds who cheered Jesus into Jerusalem as we celebrate his Kingship, his victory over the dominant dark powers of this world. But we also need to recognise that the cross exerts its power in a very different way to the systems of our world. What does this mean for us, in moments we might feel weak, failing, falling far short of the people we might hope to be? What when the world feels hopeless or out of control? What is the call of the cross to us?

We continue our series inspired by Rowan Williams' book "God With Us" thinking about the cross. This week we ask: why? What is it that the cross did that was so world changing? How do we understand the deep significance of this moment and what does it have to do with an ancient system of animal sacrifice that feels so mysterious to us now? Join Kate as she explains why Jesus death was the ultimate sacrifice, liberating us from fear, guilt and the worry of a world so full of darkness and chaos. And as we head into Holy week, what does this mean for us, the reason and focus for our life and passion, as we reflect on Christ's Passion?

In this talk, the first of three inspired by Rowan William's book "God With us," we explore the sign of the cross—not just as a symbol of faith, but as a powerful revelation of human nature and divine love. Why did Jesus die such a violent and public death? What does it say about us that when God came near, we rejected him? And what does it say about God that, knowing all of this, Christ still came?Drawing on insights from René Girard, Francis Spufford, and the Apostle Paul, Clark Buys unpacks how the cross reveals our brokenness, our capacity to scapegoat and blame, and our deep need for grace. But the cross also reveals something greater: the upside-down love of God, how Christ empties himself not to condemn but to save, not to dominate but to serve.This talk is a call to see the cross not only as a mirror into our own human condition, but as a window into the love that holds us still.