Two Hands, Two Nails and a Volkswagen

Transfixed, Chris Burden

Galatians 6:14-18

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

You were young once, you know how it is. You're hanging out with some buddies over in your other friend's garage. Just you and the fellas having a good time. Then one of your friends says "Hey! Why are we hanging out in this garage when we can be hanging out at the beach!" And you say, "Oh yeah!" Then you all hope in his Volkswagen Beetle. His car has never been reliable so two of the guys open up the garage door and push it out onto the street. You rev the engine for two minutes before having it pushed back into the garage...because you forgot that your friend Chris is crucified to the top of the car.

No, that isn't a universal experience? Yeah, I guess that's pretty specific and outlandish. Well it is the experience on performance and multimedia artist Chris Burden. In 1974 Burden embarked on an art campaign that centered around performance art acts that all dealt with personal danger to the artist. In another act he had a friend shoot him in the arm. The key with Performance Art (since it is an act and not a painting, sculpture, etc.) is to have someone document it through a photograph (like the one we have up top) or video. This becomes the evidence of the art that you performed and if you do crazy actions like Chris Burden it becomes a tool to boast about how you're more macho than Chuck Norris. Chris Burden was pretty much the precursor of Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O. Many of you will find this photograph of Chris Burden crucified to the top of a VW Beetle sacrilegious at best, and blasphemous at worse. This crude imitation of Christ for Art world fame may be disgusting to you. Many others of you may not accept performance Art as "real art." I apologize for offending you... but I believe that their is a great spiritual lesson that can be learned through this image. And yes, it contradicts what Chris Burden did. 

To my knowledge, Crucifixion isn't practiced anymore as a form of government execution anywhere. I could be wrong on that point... but for some reason I am too lazy to Google it right now. However I do know that it is still practiced as a religious ritual. By Christians nonetheless. Though it is NOT sanctioned by any Church (it is actually discouraged by several) certain Christians in the Philippines volunteer to be publicly crucified every year around Easter. It is not to the point of death, but still, that's pretty tough. Even though it is misguided, this is done as an act of penance and devotion to Christ. Though I wholly disagree with this practice of extreme Easter pageant, I can still loosely understand what they are trying to do. In admiration of Christ's sacrificial act, they attempt to identify with him. Like Paul in Galatians they are trying to "bear on their body the marks (scars) of Jesus. Little do they know there is a much simpler way of doing this. One that still allows you to go home after Easter service and enjoy your 3 foot tall chocolate rabbit. I'll explain...

Now crucifixion in connection to religion is pretty specific to Christianity, but physical suffering and body modification as a sign of religious devotion has been practiced by religions all over for millennia. Lately female circumcision as practiced by certain Middle Eastern and sub-Saharan has garnered a lot of media attention, and subsequent protest, lately. However Male circumcision for religious purposes is practiced by a number of religions and people groups worldwide. Amongst these groups, Judaism is probably its most visible proponent. in fact circumcision was introduced into Judaism by its founder Abraham. So as circumcision as a Jewish religious practice even predates the Laws of Moses. Among all of the 613 Mitzvot (commandments... yes, there are more than 10) circumcision probably stands out as the most symbolic of what it means to be a Jew externally. As we close out Galatians we find Paul giving his closing arguments against the Judaizer faction of the Church, that wanted all Christians (Jewish and Gentile) to live according to Jewish custom. The thing is that they weren't just arguing it from a cultural perspective, but from a salvific perspective. Judaizers believed that Christians had to practice the Jewish Law (along with believing in Jesus) to be saved. So when Paul talks about circumcision in this verse, he isn't just talking about circumcision. Circumcision became the symbol for all 613 Mitzvot of the Jewish Law/ religious customs in this argument. It is because circumcision is the biggest and most painful physical sacrifice of all of the Jewish Law. Combine that with the fact that it is only practiced by men in Judaism leads it to be the one that has the most macho heroism to it. It can lead to the most spiritual bravado and become a point of boasting. It becomes "that big physical sacrifice that you made for God." Paul also believed that the Judaizers may have been asking Gentile Christians to do this to make them more acceptable amongst the Jewish populace in general. hey would have been seen as practicing the whole of Torah Law and it would lead to less conflict with the Non-Christian Jews. So how would anyone know who was circumcised or not? Ummmm, I'm not quite sure...but that's pretty suspect. But even Paul had been guilty of this at an earlier point. He made Timothy, a young biracial (half Jewish/ half Greek) convert get circumcised to make him generally acceptable. But as we pick up in Galatians 6:10 Paul has made a full evolution in his thinking and practice of mandatory circumcision and he compares it to the crucifixion. Instead of focusing on that  "that big physical sacrifice that he made for God" by being circumcised, Paul says that his only hope is to boast in that big physical sacrifice that Christ made for us... the cross. Like circumcision, Christ' flesh was pierced to fulfill the command of God. But this command was for one man (Jesus) to perform, not for all men. However its redemptive effect would cover all. The forgiveness that Christ's sacrificial act reaches to everyone. It is a credit system that everyone can attain access to as if they had made the sacrifice as well. Hence Paul can say things like "he bears the marks of Christ"... while alluding to the crucifixion holes. This redeeming of our credit with God is a new creation. It makes our relationship with God start afresh and wipes away any past indiscretions.       

When one chooses to believe in the gift that was attained through Christ's crucifixion (freedom to love God, freedom to love mankind, freedom from sin), then one attains the marks of Jesus. Jesus' blood covers all that he comes in contact with. When we take the hand of the Crucified Christ, we are left with an impression of the crucifixion on our own hands. A Christian can never be Christ, but the idea is for a Christian to do their best to imitate him. I may not have enough love in my heart to forgive my enemies, but Christ did, and I can imitate him. I may not have the wherewithal to turn the other cheek when I am physically assaulted and insulted, but Christ did, and I can imitate him. I may not have enough faith to trust that God can change me from my sinful ways, but Christ did, and I can imitate him. Eventually my Performance becomes natural and imitating Jesus becomes an Art... and when God looks down at me, He doesn't see my past indiscretions but He sees the sacrifice of His Son on a cross.          



Transfixed, Chris Burden, detail

 

The Sound of Freedom




Symbolic negro History, main panel of mural at Fisk University, Aaron Douglas

Galatians 5:1 &13-18

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage...For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

A thousand pardons, ladies and gentlemen! I apologize for my late post. While you were not hearing from me, I was busy doing some hearing of my own. I wonder if you heard what I heard.

Have you ever heard the sound of a painting? I haven't... but I've seen the movement of the sound waves. Now please spare me the story of that time back in the 60's when you got to kick it with Hunter S. Thompson on a road trip and you and your new buddy consumed questionable substances that had you seeing sounds and hearing colors. Ain't nobody got time for that (my obligatory Sweet Brown reference)! This is the story of the 20th century painter Aaron Douglas. During the Harlem Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas came to be respected as the standard bearer of the era's visual arts' arm. He did illustrations for W.E.B. Dubois, Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson and other African American heavyweights of this period of black cultural flowering. He was so respected amongst intellectuals, writers and cultural critics that he was referred to as the 'father of African American Art." His Art blended the aesthetic of Art Nouveau and Art Deco with the narrative of the African American freedom story. In 1930 he painted a multi-part mural in the library of Fisk University entitled "Symbolic Negro History"... yeah, History painters are never good with titles. Sounds more like an Anthropological article. However direct the title was, the painting itself was pure poetry: a tapestry of cultural narrative that evokes memories of the National Black Anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing." The power of this painting lies in the fact that it uses sound (or the symbol of sound) to tie the story together. In every panel there is an object or character that emits sound waves and move the story of African peoples along. From the building of the Pyramids to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to Emancipation to the Invention of Jazz to the construction of great American cities and infrastructure, this is a mural that marks the sound waves that made ripples in Time. The mural section that I feature at the top is extremely powerful because it centers on the preaching of this message of Freedom. Emitted by Quaker Abolitionists, Methodist Missionaries and Baptist slave preachers, the message that is embedded in the story of the Exodus from Egyptian slavery inspired the contemporary African American slaves that they should also be free like their ancient Hebrew counterparts. In painting this 34 years before the Civil Rights Act and social progress, Aaron Douglas was acting as his era's preacher, encouraging the young Black college students who would view his mural of their people's great past, hopeful future and eternal strength. He preached a sweet painting of prudence, hard work and self determination without malice towards others. He pictured the pictured the voice of Progress and it sounds like freedom.

 

Have you ever heard the voice of God? I haven't... but I've seen the impact of his voice. Now I believe that Scripture is God's primary means of communicating with Mankind, however, I also believe that God has secondary means of communication. These include things like nature, reason, loving relationships, science, etc.... It's like the Bible is God's cellphone but these secondary means of Divine communication are His pager (because I like to imagine God as a Primeco phone salesman in 1997 wearing pleated khakis). One of these secondary communication methods that interests me the most is what Scripture calls "a living epistle" which pretty much means a living, breathing sermon. It is when God speaks to us through the lives others. I have friend who is a living epistle for me. The funny thing is that she'd probably never know that I think this. She is actually a former coworker that I haven't seen in about 3 or 4 years. Thanks to the magic of social media I can keep up with what she's doing. Her Facebook timeline and updates document how she is still working two jobs. One of these is overnight. Along with these she still takes classes and is marching on to eventually completing her studies in Criminal Science. Like everyone else she'll post Instagram pics of the latest hike that she and her boyfriend have conquered. Now all of these are admiral feats but  greatest thing she does comes once per year. It is when she posts that it is yet another year of her being sober. In the words of Langston Hughes, "Life for her ain't been no crystal stair." She probably doesn't think that she doing anything extraordinary. She probably longs for a life that is more noteworthy and monumental. But what she does everyday, even, in its monotony is a championship, because every time I face challenges I can scroll through my news feed and see her being victorious by being reliable to herself, open with others and persist ant in her struggle. That is the thing about life, you may never know that you are someone's encouragement. Your commitment to fight the demons of the past and deal with the daily grind of the present motivates others. It is a reminder that Jesus said "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Sometimes He is there in the inspirational journeys of our friends. It may look like everyday life but if you listen closely then you will realize that it is a sermon preached through life... and it sounds like freedom.

 

Have you ever heard the sound of freedom? I actually have. It sounds like the writings of a former Pharisaic Rabbi turned Christian Apostle. His name was Paul... after it was Saul. It sounds like him telling his Galatian parishioners that their notions of how to relate to God needed to evolve. Many of them were like just like him: Jewish Christians who were trying get a grasp on how being a follower of Jesus related to their religious upbringing. Specifically how were they to worship God? Were they required to still keep the 613 Mitzvot ( Commandments) of biblical law (including circumcision) or were they also allowed to practice the simplified spirituality that their Gentile (non-Jewish) Christian brothers practiced? The other Apostles jointly decided that Paul was to teach Gentile converts a life of worship that was devoid of many of the practices of the Torah (Old Testament). The idea was to take the overall message of Scripture, the general concept and apply it to your everyday living. Instead of making ritual sacrifices, a believers existence would be lived in as a sacrificial act. This notion was a revolutionary one: for Jews and Gentiles alike. Even the Gentile believers would have converted from religions where acts of animal sacrifice and/or some degree of personal bodily sacrifice/modification was common. Paul was teaching that the biggest sacrifice was to happen to our minds and bodily modification would occur in our hearts. So was there a general standard of Christian worship that would hold true for Christians of any stripe? Paul thought so. It was Love. The whole 613 commands of the Law were to be boiled down to one command, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Ironically this wasn't a new concept: It is what Jesus taught, it is what Hillel taught and it is what the Torah taught. That is what true worship of God is and always was: Love. It may sound like an oversimplification of a complex issue but if you (like me) have ever felt alienated from God our your fellow Man it also sounds like freedom.        



So that is what the sound of freedom is. I guess it is more than one actual noise. It is at least three: the freedom from external oppression from others, the freedom from internal oppression from our own weaknesses and vices and finally the spiritual freedom to love. This chorus of Liberty is powerful enough to awaken us from bygone troubles and lull us into a peaceful sleep of God's rest. It is the harmony that is true religion: true worship of God. This sound of freedom is music to the Lord's ears.