Christ off the Springboard


A work by one Werner Hofmeister- who claims that the suffering on the Cross is for Christ only a springboard and he has turned the Cross into a symbol of freedom and borderlessness. The rust colour symbolises apparently building works in progress.

A world away from the Passion of Mel Gibson who understood the magnitude of the suffering of Christ.

PSALMUS 129
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine:
Domine, exaudi vocem meam:
Fiant aures tuae intendentes,
in vocem deprecationis meae.

Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine:
Domine, quis sustinebit?
Quia apud te propitiatio est:
et propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.
Sustinuit anima mea in verbo eius:
speravit anima mea in Domino.

A custodia matutina usque ad noctem:
speret Israel in Domino.
Quia apud Dominum misericordia:
et copiosa apud eum redemptio.

Et ipse redimet Israel,
ex omnibus iniquitatibus eius.

Gloria Patri, et Filio,
et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: * Lord, hear my voice.
Let Thy ears be attentive * to the voice of my supplication.
If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: * Lord, who shall stand it?
For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: * and by reason of thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord.
My soul hath relied on His word, * my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch even until night, * let Israel hope in the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with him plentiful redemption.
And he shall redeem Israel * from all his iniquities.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.


Meanwhile, the artist has gone into mass production.
An old heresy that Christ did not really suffer, dressed up as modern art.

Comments

Richard said…
It really takes some explanation to wonder what the depiction really means. Did Christ rise from the cross or an empty tomb? If the cross is the point of his "departure" from this world, wouldn't he be better depicted as descending to the netherworld where he preached to the spirits in prison? (1 Pet 3:19) He ascended into heaven from the mount in Galilee, not the cross. It says he gave up his spirit on the cross, but is this best represented by his body? It is hard for me to take this portrayal too seriously, and am tempted to simply make fun of it likewise as Christ getting ready to jump off a diving board. It reminds me of the "touchdown Jesus" seen on may crosses today: the smiling referee Christ with both arms raised to signal to the congregation that you can bring sports to church with you, too. By coming to church this Sunday, you've all scored a touchdown in God's eyes.