This is in response to Ann Harlow's request, which was in response to a
comment I made that most every Christian has been exposed to depictions of
Jesus that were offensive to some. Her posting about Catholic-bashing on
"their" Easter struck me as ignoring what other committed Christians
experience throughout the world if they challenge the status quo.
The controversy seems to be growing at St. Mary's, with members of the
Museum's Advisory Board being unhappy and one, a college employee, quitting
altogether. That employee's letter was quoted by Ann. The letter
expressed the view that artists (and by extension art museum people) are --
with the campus academic community -- committed to the "ethics of leftist
political engagement." Golly. No self-respecting college should have on
its staff (to communicate with donors, of all things) an individual so
paranoid and small-minded. How can this individual "sell" a product that
he feels is so badly tainted, poisoned, rotten?
I have gone back and read your descriptions of these paintings, Ann. Given
that Mary is the mother of Christ, this is a Christian -- not just a Roman
Catholic -- issue. So if there is any "anti-" involved, it is an
anti-Christian concern.
Together, perhaps, these works of art (and perhaps none of them are very
good) raise the good question of how far removed our concept and the
enormous apparatus of Christianity is, from that envisioned by the Apostles
and within the primitive Church. Is the apparatus of wealth and power that
is typical of our major Christian denominations a result of the Holy Spirit
(dove) at work among us? Hasn't our culture made fun of the essential
values we are taught as Christians -- are the meek really blessed in
America, why is it that we are more concerned with welfare reform than
poverty, what are the ways we think of "success" (living without luxury, or
showing off our homes, cars, gifts to museums, etc.).
The liberally educated person ought to see these paintings as a critique of
our "Christianity" rather than a belittlement of Mary the mother of Christ.
If they are trash, that is in the beholder's eye. But if they provoke
thought and debate during this holy season about whether we have made a
mockery of the Saviour, even though we say we are Christians, then the
museum has done the right thing.
If I were in Ann's position, but I am not, I would see to it that the
dialogue on these paintings were refocused. The issue they seem to raise
is not a Roman Catholic one, but a Christian one. After all, in the good
old USA, our character-disabled President today remains by far our
most-admired public man, ahead of the Pope. Doesn't that say something
about our cultural values?
What better place, than a church-owned college, to ask these questions?
Peace,
Ross Weeks
Tazewell Va.
No woman has ever borne a child
And worshipped his eyes and the way he
smiled,
And reacted with with pride at his first clear
word;
Who bound up his hurts and loved his
absurd
Fierce concentration, watching a spider;
Who saw him grow till he stood
beside her,
Straight and tall as a mountain pine;
No woman had a son like mine
Ever believed that aught than good
Could come to this fruit of her
motherhood--
No woman ever believed--not I!
That this life of her life was born to die
As mine, going down from Nazareth
to Jerusalem and sorrow and death.
Some say he was wrong, some say
he was right
In the way he did that dark spring night.
I only know what is done is done,
And I weep for Judas...I weep
for my son.
"Old Tears in Galilee"
by Georgie Starbuck Galbraith
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