The popularized images of Jesus

[bobcat]

Artists, sculptors, and film makers have marketed images of Jesus to the public for centuries, and yet there is no real description of him in the Bible, or anywhere else. There are pictures in homes, churches, books, art, films, literature, and he's even depicted in statues. We've all seen them our entire life, and yet it is all made up !

It just seems crazy that so much of society has accepted a popular notion of what Jesus looked like, but it's all just fantasy. Just type in your browser "images of Jesus" and see how many there are.

It seems there is a great need to connect in a visual way, and it really doesn't matter if it's real or imagined.

 

[Pepper]

The faces of Jesus, and there are many, reflect the societies where Christianity thrived.

 

[Pepper]

I feel intellectually crippled right now. A thesis I did in University was on this very idea, it is just that I used Mary. Employing various depictions of Mary during Medieval through Renaissance in various cultures, I tied the changing roles of women in general society. My research not only took me to great collections of art in NYC, I also traveled to Italy and Britain seeking more information.

This thesis received general applause from faculty. It was published by the University press not for publication, but for research in their library.

I have so much to say about this, but lack the ability to express myself well anymore. So, @bobcat, thanks for the memories.

 

[jujube]

As a child, every year I dreamed of getting to play Mary or at least the Angel in the Nativity pageant we kids put on at church.

But noooo, those roles always went to the prettiest little girls with big blue eyes, pale skin and long blonde hair. With my dark kinky hair, brown eyes and olive complexion, I was a shepherd once again.

Did they really think Mary would have had blond hair and blue eyes?

But at least I had my dad's beautiful bathrobe, so I did get to be a Wiseman one year.

Speaking of Wisemen.....it was pretty obvious that they WERE men.

WiseWOMEN would have gotten there on time because they would have stopped to ask for directions. They would have brought practical gifts such as baby blankets, diapers and cute little onesies. And, instead of standing around "adoring", they would have cleaned the stable, cooked a nutritious meal for the Holy Family and rocked the Child for a while so that Mary could take a much-needed nap.

And, especially, they would have sent that Little Drummer Boy packing after the first few rat-a-tat-tats. SHHHHHH, kid, you'll wake the baby up! Get lost!