Friday, June 18, 2010

I tend toward iconoclasm...

...although I recognize scripture is not as clear on the subject as I tend to think it is, and I recognize many Christian traditions enjoy statues and other images as useful outreach tools.

(For those who do not know, iconoclasm is a belief that images are inappropriate in Christian worship. Iconoclasts during the Reformation were known for raiding churches and destroying statues by force.)

But, the destruction of the famous Jesus statue in Ohio is a good reminder that any image - even that of Christ - is just a thing made of human hands. It is not God or even a god.

A bolt struck a 62-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ on Monday outside a church in Monroe, Ohio, and the statue erupted in flames. All that remains is a charred steel skeleton, its spindly arms stretched toward heaven, a gesture that once earned it the nickname "Touchdown Jesus."

Darlene Bishop, co-pastor of Solid Rock Church, says she's simply relieved that the lightning hit Jesus and not the home for at-risk women next door.
Plus, how often do you have the excuse to use "iconoclasm" in a blog headline?

No comments: