The Triumphant Christ

I have been lucky to spend time in Spain and Portugal in the last few years and have seen a lot of cathedrals.  Sometimes there are audio tours—the kind you hold to your ear or download to your phone as you walk through the church.  My mind usually meanders off as the British accent tells me to look to the left above the 12th century marble column where there is a 16th century painting by Diego blah blah in the blah blah blah style, so I nearly missed something about a “switch” from a Triumphant Christ to a Suffering Christ in the 13th century.  “What switch?” I thought.  Southern Europe is particularly fond of what seems to be a bloodied, anguished, defeated Chris, but earlier depictions portrayed him differently.  Apparently, the Byzantines viewed him as a powerful, cosmic ruler with absolute authority over earthly empires.

In the 13th century, the Franciscans promoted the change to a more downtrodden Christ as they thought that people could better identify with a suffering savior who had died for our sins.  Interestingly, around the time of the “switch”, the Catholic Church started the systematic sale of indulgences that were instrumental in funding cathedrals and other infrastructure.  They also formalized the idea of purgatory.

I’m not sure if the Suffering Christ was a marketing tool for the times or simply reflected a change in theology.  But I like the Triumphant Christ much better.  He looks out formidably, maybe with a bit of defiance…and seems to communicate a more powerful message – that his light will not be dimmed.  Nor will ours.  We are strong.  We will rise again.  

Holy One, help us to focus a little more on the power of the teachings of Jesus during his lifetime…

and a little less on his final days. 

Judy B is a founding member of Peace Church and a fan of all things Iberian (except maybe the ham).