Station 10: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments

By Stefania Bonanni

After everything He has already suffered on His way to Golgotha, Jesus is stripped of His final earthly protection — His garments. He is left completely vulnerable. All that remains is Himself and the love of the Father. He gave up everything for us. So why do I struggle to give up my comfort for Him?

I often feel as though I hide my faith from the world. I clothe myself with a cloak of neutrality and anonymity so that others cannot see that I am a Christian. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable; I don’t want to rock the boat. It feels safer to keep my faith tucked away, unseen.

I especially struggle to show my faith at work. I am a biology PhD student, and I spend my days reading, learning, experimenting, and discussing biological systems. In these spaces, data are essential. Beliefs without evidence feel irrelevant. Many view God and science as irreconcilable. As an undergrad, a research mentor once asked me, “How can you be a Christian when you are a scientist?”

But for me, learning biology is uncovering the intricate details of God’s beautiful work. With each scientific discovery, we uncover even more that we do not understand. The complexity of biology is astounding. The complexity of God’s work is astounding. For me, science and God are not incompatible — they are intricately connected.

Yet I hesitate to discuss my belief in God with my colleagues. I worry about what they will think of me. Will they take me less seriously as a scientist?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells His disciples:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… Your light must shine before people, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”   (Matthew 5:14–16)

Jesus calls us to shine our light into the world. We must not hide it under a basket — or under a cloak. As disciples, we are called to share the Good News, to witness to what our faith has done for us, and to testify to how it has changed our lives.

As Jesus is stripped of His garments and made vulnerable, may I be stripped of my cloak of neutrality. May I allow myself to be vulnerable enough to share my faith with others. God, please give me the courage I need to truly be Your disciple and to share the Good News.