Quote of the Day
Jesus invited others to accompany him. He modelled letting others in. He allowed others to see his deepest vulnerabilities and struggles. He did not hide his scars and wounds but let Mary wash them, Thomas touch them and his mother hold them. What vulnerability, what courage! I want to hide my wounds; I want to protect them, and not let anyone see. Jesus on the other hand, openly cursed, openly wept and openly blessed. He modelled a transparent life and carried his cross through the streets.
Alan Jamieson, Chrysalis – The hidden transformation in the journey of faith
Tags: Christian Life
August 4th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
I think this quote well illustrates the power of the Christian religion: Jesus can be to each what each wants him to be. Here we see him bearing his wounds – the fact these are physical wounds is of little concern to the author – for him, the image of a public display of woundedness is transposed and confined to his own interpretation (and need?) of bearing one’s mental and emotional wounds publically. It is an intensely personal reading – and one I consider flawed, imposing on the scant narratives we have concerning Jesus the man, meanings which I suspect are more the necessary invention of the author than anything gleaned from Scripture. Jesus can be a personal friend, psychiatrists, counsellor, warrior, captain, savour, moralist, a fighter for social justice, a politician or the Right or of the Left. We each see something slightly different: a reflection of our needs or the Real person of Jesus?