Compelled to Create

Jesus…asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-16 (The Message)

I name most of my “thrift-store Jesus” finds, but not this one. To me, this piece doesn’t lend itself to a clever name. This is one of my favorites, simple and striking. I’ve always been fond of the rustic wood-slice plaque look, to me it says old Colorado (even though I’m sure it was popular in other areas, too). But what is special about this piece is that I think it is very original. I don’t think this came from a pattern, it doesn’t look like a kit. The plaque was painted black, then the image carved out of it. I wish it was signed or dated by the artist, but there is nothing.

So, why this piece right now? We are nearing Easter, a time when many think about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. This image is a typical Catholic Jesus, with the crown of thorns. I was always told that the Catholic images usually emphasized the crucifixion, but the Protestant Jesus was a risen Jesus (thus, the empty cross). To be real honest, I think both of them are missing half of the point—you can’t have one without the other. 

But I do find it interesting how we tend to create our own “Jesus.” You could argue that it is “just an image…we know that wasn’t how Jesus looked, blah, blah, blah.” But I think we have a lot of reasons we imagine him as we do. 

My husband, Jim, isn’t too crazy about “paint-by-number Jesus” (my first thrift-store Jesus). In mock frustration he asked, “When is this supposed to be? When was Jesus standing around in his “Sunday best” holding up a cross?” Jim doesn’t really understand all about promo photos and marketing and press releases and all that stuff, but I’m sure that is what this was. It’s just a public relations piece….right?

I can just imagine Jesus walking along with the disciples having the discussion quoted at the beginning of this post. I think he stopped right in the middle, looked each of them straight in the eye, and asked, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” 

I think he would have the same conversation with each of us, asking, “Who do you say I am…that’s what I really want to know?”