Thursday, March 11, 2010

the road of life

I know I just used this image on the blog a few weeks ago. I'm reposting today because the image will be on our church's worship folder this week, along with a short statement I wrote about it (below). The sermon this week is focused on 1 Corinthians 1:27 - "For God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

[By the way, the original work is part of the CROSS/PURPOSE art exhibit currently displayed at John Knox Presbyterian Church. This piece is, indeed, a big old rusty road sign... if you live nearby, go look for it near the entrance to the sanctuary in the hallway to the right.]



Art in Worship

In his striking piece, The Road of Life, Theodore Prescott uses a battered, rusting road sign to make a poignant statement about the cross. The symbol of sacrificial love and everlasting life is imposed upon a piece of metal that seems more likely to be found in a trash heap than an art gallery. In juxtaposing these things, Prescott creates an almost shocking picture of the gospel. For God chose the rubbish of the world - the useless, the abandoned, the battered and rusting – to shame the wise, the beautiful, the put-together. Our broken lives, redeemed by Christ, become living markers pointing toward the cross on the road of life.

2 comments:

Travis Thompson said...

I read or heard somewhere a quote that someone said something like "If Christ had come in the early 20th century Christians would be wearing electric chairs around their necks." I can't remember whether it was meant to be antagonistic or not (I think it was) but I think it's actually an interesting comparison and sheds some light on the cross in a way that we don't typically think of. We're so used to seeing the cross as a nice symbol of our faith and religion but it really was a tool for a cruel execution. I was thinking about this during Robert's sermon today.

Haley said...

I have heard that too... I think it was something BBurton quoted at one point... interesting to think about!