Queen of Swords

Growing up Protestant, crucifixes weren't a significant part of my spiritual 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 use for 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 ]