The Beautifully Painful Words of Jesus Christ
created for the art show entitled Fusion at my church – Flipside
We just got through reading through the book of Samuel in our bible study group. It’s been tough… reconciling God in the Old Testament, who seems so harsh and distant, and Jesus in the New Testament, who seems much gentler, forgiving, and much more compassionate. Perfect love and absolute righteousness… being able to love somebody no matter who they are… yet being so righteous that even the slightest sin will never see the inside of Heaven…
Those two things just seem so incompatible, but that’s God for you – a deep ocean of contradictions, holiness, and otherness that I need to hold on to – even if holding on to something so beautiful will hurt me so deeply – because I know that if I let go of it, there’s nothing in this world that could provide a worthy substitute for it. But then it’d be foolish of me to think that Christ would love me without challenging me to do things that seem impossible…
It’d take quite a while to fully explain what this means to me… although I was partially inspired by Depeche Mode’s song entitled Judas, which sums it up particularly well, especially when Dave sings “Walk on barefoot for me/ Suffer some misery/ If you want my love/ If you want my love”
Judas
Is simplicity best
Or simply the easiest?
The narrowest path
Is always the holiest
So walk on barefoot for me
Suffer some misery
If you want my love
If you want my love
Man will survive
The harshest conditions
And stay alive
Through difficult decisions
So make up your mind for me
Walk the line for me
If you want my love
If you want my love
Idle talk
And hollow promises
Cheating Judases
Doubting Thomases
Don’t just stand there and shout it
Do something about it
You can fulfil
Your wildest ambitions
And I’m sure you will
Lose your inhibitions
So open yourself for me
Risk your health for me
If you want my love…
If you want my love…
If you want my love…
If you want my love…
The Beautifully Painful Words of Jesus Christ belongs to the following groups:
All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Living Christianity, PixElations - The Art of Photoshop, Religious Art & Photography and Self as Other Available for sale asGreeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
midzing
beautifully created,,, well done
Von McKnelly
You’re getting deep here Daniel…and thats OK.
The image and the message rocks!
mcquaid
When you proffess a believe it is never a ramble.Interesting and thoughtful work Regards.
kathleen
this would look spectacular in the practising the dark arts group… I love it!
Tahnja
absolutely beautiful work!
mieclarke
Excellent work!!
missmunchy
your stuff is so unique and enticing! You write as well as you photograph!
moorefaith
Daniel, speaking as someone who spent a lot of time ignoring the OT for just the reason you mentioned, but who is now part of a group that’s dedicated to understanding the entire Bible within the Jewish context, let me tell you that the Church has lost a lot in translation (figuratively and literally). I’ll not deny that there are many hard things in the OT (and even the NT), but both of them become so much deeper, richer, and more beautiful when we understand the culture, context, language and imagery. I hope you get to discover that someday! Love ya, little bro.
moorefaith
PS – Uh, forgot to comment on the image… which is wonderful. :)
And I like the lyrics you posted!
Daniel Rarela replied
LOL thanks Amanda! Yeah, it’d be cool to take an OT class… learn it the way it was learned when it was first written and in the proper context… maybe life would be a lot less confusing…
lool maybe I should subscribe to a Hebrew podcast….
toolesque
Who’s Jesus?
moorefaith
Just move to Toledo, OH and hang out with us. You can teach me photography and we can teach you how to be assimilated… mwwaa haa haaaaa! (j/k)
Charleen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus
jerry alcantara
this is really an art, great job
ByrneFoto
I loved this when you posted it on the LC forum and I still do, beautiful work Daniel!
TREVOR IRWIN
Stunning creation and well written words Daniel. This is art at its most beautiful.
Link to my Africa Mission Website:
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link to my art & writings.
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