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This picture has been getting some interesting reactions both online and off. Commissioned by Heavenly Sanctuary for their "Good News Tour". This painting was used on promotional posters with various sayings, and caused not only negative net reaction, but also out-right protests! My fav. saying (thus the title) on a poster is "Jesus-Still Too Radical?".
Obviously people don't like the idea of Christ washing Osama Bin Laden's feet like he did in humility and servitude for his disciples (even Judas who he predicts will betray him in the next section....hmmmmm!!!???). Some people I have showed this to have found it just as interesting (and I'm sure purposeful) that Christ will or has already washed President Bush's feet being how controversial he and this war is.
I personally applaud this painting! I think it speaks in a language that is hard to swallow, although the message is profound!
You can read more about the painting and an opinion over at Greg Boyd's Blog.
What are your thoughts?
This is, I think a very accurate painting. Since Judas betrayed the Son of man, and Jesus himself said that he might as well have not been born (Matthew 26:24-25), but Jesus still washed his feet...I think it is obvious that Jesus would wash bin Laden's feet as well. What Judas did was considered probably the worst thing a human being could do, according to Jesus' standards (which are Gods standards of course and is the ultimate standard). It shouldn't be so hard for people to imagine Jesus washing bin Laden's feet. I think it's quite obvious He would.
ReplyDeletehey Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteI think you are spot on buddy! It confounds me that there would be protest over such a profound statement as the one that this painting is making! The one thing about Art (and I mention this several posts down about how you read the sign) is that it tends to tell you more about yourself than it does about the object of art! I Love art, although I am not an artist, But I am a photographer, and it is really interesting to see which pictures I take draw people's attention and for what reasons. Esp. if they're ones I don't particularly like myself!
I think Greg Boyd Hits on something here. From His blog:
"What does this say about how many American Christians envision Jesus? Obviously, the protesters believe that Jesus would not wash Osama Bin Laden’s feet. But Jesus died "not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world" (I Jn 2:2) -- and this obviously includes Osama. So if Jesus died for Osama, how are we to imagine him being unwilling to wash his feet?
What the protest reveals is that many Christians have tragically allowed their patriotism to co-opt their faith. They have allowed their American citizenship to take priority over their Kingdom citizenship"
I think he may have something there! I will say however, when I first saw this painting my thoughts ran to "For God so loved the world..." and it took on a new meaning because "new faces" were applied to the passage in a new way!
ALSO: In CASE ANYONE DOESN'T KNOW:
(again from Greg's blog)
"In case some of the faces on the poster are unfamiliar to you, they are (left to right) German Chancellor Angela Merkel; Tony Blair, England; Kofi A. Annan, UN; Osama bin Laden; George Bush; Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; and Jiang Zemin, former president of China."
Thanks for your thoughts Jeremy!