Post-Modern Religiosity

“Eleanor and Barbara, Lake Michigan, 1953″

Harry Callahan did several studies on intimacy with his wife Eleanor, and the relationship between her body and various surroundings, and also attempts to manipulate space in order to further investigate the issue.  He took many photographs of her through their married life, and a various locations to show the environment engulfing her figure.  This picture of her at Lake Michigan completely eclipses her figure against the immensity of nature and her surroundings.

The immensity and grandeur of God's character is overwhelmingly apparent in this picture.  The infinitesimal portrayal of the human figure as compared to the overbearing emptiness and vacuity of the surroundings is stark and why this picture reminds me of God.  We are but a breath, he is eternal. We are but a speck in the universe, but God is the creator of the universe in which we will exist and disappear in but a fleeting second.

This image is true, however, because even though we are such a small part of the universe, we are a part of it nonetheless. God's creation is massive and eternal, mirroring his character. He is Lord over all, and in order to be such he must be larger than what he created. At least I believe that in order to be the Lord of the created, he must be equal to or greater than it.  His character is true, his character is large, his creation is large, he is large, he is Lord.

JESUSMANGODFRIENDKINGLORDHALLELUJAHAMEN

"Look upon these with favorable

and gracious countenance and accept them,

as you accepted the gifts of your just servant Abel

and the sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham

and that which your High Priest Melchizedek

offered to you, a holy sacrifice, an unspotted victim."

The prayer above has been recited during the Eucharist of the San Vitale Basilica in Ravenna, Italy since its consecration by the Archbishop of Ravenna in 548 A.D. This image historically has been used contemplatively in manner. Only one small, yet crucial part of the mosaic, the figure of Christ is centered, receiving offerings from many, Melchizedek and Abel included. The image was positioned above and behind the high altar with the intention of meditation on the sacrifice of Christ, specifically with visual references to the Last Supper: the first Communion.

This image is Christ. The first and only sacrifice from God for all of humanity. Yes, he was fully man, but Jesus Christ is a triune God, and Lord of all Creation. How do you view God? As a supreme ruler, or as a friend? It should not necessarily be an either/or situation, but a question that many have asked or been asked nonetheless. I answer this differently depending on where I am in life, and frankly, right now God is King; although, much of life I would have answered the opposite. Even though this picture is a holy representation of Christ and centralizes much more around his divinity rather than humanity, he is still man. It is a deified image of Christ, the one in the trinity who I most often refer to as my friend at those times in my life, but I find this image compelling because it presents Jesus as King in my eyes, rather than Jesus as man.

All of my ramblings taken into account, yes, this image is true. Much more true now to me that it might be at other times in my life, but true nevertheless. Is it true to you? Potentially... That's for you to decide.

From Dust

From Dust

"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,

till thou return unto the ground;

for out of it wast thou taken:

for dust thou art,

and unto dust shalt thou return."

I'm constantly stricken by the temporal nature of existence.

We live, we breathe, we move, we touch, but nothing is permanent.

How do we deal with the fact that life goes on when we are gone?

How do we reckon with the truth that there is eternal and our lives

are but a blink of the eye of time?

We can sense eternity, and other concepts outside of ourselves,

yet we are bound by space and time even though we reach for more.

We came from dust, were instilled with a sense of eternity,

and will once again return to the dust from which we came.

Should we bury this paradox? Should be beleaguer

over this contradiction? We can long for eternity,

but we must not forget our human lives will end.

We are made for more, and this is not where

and who we're intended to be.