Crucifix

[qos]

Growing up Protestant, crucifixes weren't a significant part of my iconography. As an adult who has rejected the theology of the necessity of Christ dying to atone for the sins of humanity and the idea that God required the death of his son (or anyone), I have had even less interest in them.

But yesterday afternoon I was browsing the online catalog of The Museum Company store and found this image, called the Crucifix of Athlone, from Ireland's County Roscommon, AD 800:



I was mesmerized.
I went back to the site three times.
Then I ordered one for myself.

Maybe its the Celtic spirals adorning and in some way exposing both the visceral reality and the eternal mystery of the body of Yeshua/Christ. Maybe its the stylized formality that jolts me back into an older, more primitive connection with the idea of voluntary sacrifice as part of spirituality, something I can't even put words to but which thrums in my gut.

There's something very deep here, something ancient and startling, the likes of which I have not encountered in a very long time. I am reminded of Aslan telling Lucy and Susan about the "deeper magic from before the dawn of time." Whatever it is that fascinates me here, it's not something I remember feeling during my orthodox (small "o") Christian days.

I don't have words for it now -- but I think this crucifix and I are going to have interesting conversations in the days to come.


[The listing for the piece, with background text, is here: http://museumstorecompany.com/product_info.php?products_id=1912 ]

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's an extraordinary thing.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

I can see how that could be mesmerising.

I quite often refer to the "deeper magic" when I'm trying to explain some aspect of Christianity to people. I think the most recent example was when someone said they could never be Christian because they disliked the idea that God had to sacrifice a son for us, and my immediate reaction was "but you're not supposed to like it!"

"Not Supposed to Like It"

[qos.livejournal.com]

Would you elaborate on that?

And would you tell me about your icon? She's fascinating!

Re: "Not Supposed to Like It"

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

It's not supposed to be a good thing that Jesus had to die. Since he had to, it's a good thing that he was willing, but the having-to itself is not good, but a tragedy made necessary by the Deeper Magic.

The icon is by noloveaqui. I've had her a long time and don't remember clearly what story came with her, but I think I found her in a pagan icon community and that she represents Hestia. I like her because of the combination of that goddess-of-the-hearth flavour and the cross symbol on her pendant (or whatever it is), which means she can represent both the pagan and the Christian influences on my religious experience. I also sometimes use her in communities like modest_clothing or islam_feminism, because she is one of the few icons I have of a woman with a headcovering of any kind (not that either community requires that, but sometimes it feels appropriate).

Re: "Not Supposed to Like It"

[thomryng.livejournal.com]

This sums it up for me:

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness (1 Corinthians 22-23)

It also explains why those Protestant bare crosses give me the creeps. Without Christ hanging upon it, it's just an instrument of torture and death. With Christ present, it becomes a sign of redemption.

Re: "Not Supposed to Like It"

[qos.livejournal.com]

Without Christ hanging upon it, it's just an instrument of torture and death. With Christ present, it becomes a sign of redemption.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy interfaith discussion so much. I've always had the exact opposite reaction: that crucifixes dwell so much on the torture and death that they lose the focus on the resurrection. (Of course, your selection of verses illustrates your point nicely in contrast to my own!)

I appreciate getting a glimpse into a different paradigm.

Re: "Not Supposed to Like It"

[thomryng.livejournal.com]

They're both valuable images, but they are complementary and not necessarily antagonistic images.

One of the Catholic orders (I think it's the Carmelites, but I can't remember for sure) use the image of the bare cross. It becomes powerful as an image in their case because it is so unexpectedly different the Catholic "norm".

[parisgarters.livejournal.com]

Oh I love that. It's so Matthew Fox Cosmic Christ.

[thomryng.livejournal.com]

That's simply astonishing.