In the silent film of “Ben Hur” the film makers didn’t know
how to portray Christ. So when Christ
would show up they didn’t show his body.
What you got was an arm of “someone” preaching the Sermon on the
Mount. How you knew it was Christ was
because his arm would glow white.
Later in the film, as Ben Hur witnesses Christ’s walk to
Calvary, he gets close to Christ and you know this due to the fact that Ben is
awash in glowing white light. It more so
appears that some crew member is bouncing the sunlight off a mirror and shining
it on the actor’s face. Still, this is
the light of Christ and I’m fine with that, but couldn’t get over the fact that
this is how the film makers chose to portray Christ. I just image this glowing ghost like person
walking around Jerusalem. Maybe coming
into a house at night and someone saying:
“Jesus, dude, can you tone down the brightness a bit, we’re trying to sleep.”
But this just proves that FOREVER we’ve struggled with the
image of God. Is he the “old guy in the
clouds” as portrayed in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting or is he
something more abstract?
When I was attending Confirmation class the priest asked us
to come up with our images of God. If I
remember right, I created a cloud and in the center of the cloud was the word
God and coming out from that were words like love and peace and kindness or
something. I can’t remember what other
people’s images were as I was a self absorbed teenager (not that I’m not self
absorbed 51 year old). As we all
described our images of God, the Priest, if I remember right said: “You’re all correct.” So is it simply that our God is just an
offshoot of what we’ve grown to learn through years and years of up- bringing
and experience?
So maybe my mother’s image of God as a Powerful all helpful
being can still spare a few minutes to find us a parking space.
But then what happens when my image of God clashes with
those who have no image, or image is one of anger, frustration and retribution?
More of an “Old Testament” God?
If the differing images of a handful of teenagers going
through puberty and adolescence can be deemed as “correct” by the priest could
not the images of a
fire-and-brimstone-all-gays-should-be-put-to-death-and-women-should-know-their-place
God of a fundamentalist preacher also be correct?
And what of the glowing Jesus? We know through history that Jesus was a Jew
from the Middle East which means he was dark skinned with black hair. Not the Max Von Sydow, Willem Defoe, lilly-white
baby Jesus we see so much portrayed in Christmas cards and Renaissance
paintings and sculptures.
For me, I attempt to look at all the books of the bible in
the context of what was going on at the time and who they were being written
for. But then my image of God is shaped
by the works and teachings of Jesus and his focus and passion and ultimate
sacrifice.
I hazard to guess my image of God hasn’t changed all that
much since I was 14 or 15 years of age.
I still believe that God is “other” and focused on love and peace and
reconciliation and forgiveness. For some
reason that “fits” with me. For some
of you reading this, it might be that
you think I’m “confused.” Or that my
image is faulty or incorrect or silly.
***shrug***
I’m okay with that.
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