[this is part of a series of blog posts on art in holy week – see also
- art in holy week day one: the lent cross delarosa
- art in holy week day two: raised in leeds
- art in holy week day three: the create project
- art in holy week day four: the easter story engedi arts
- art in holy week day five: soul of sheffield
- art in holy week day six: stations of the king’s cross
- art in holy week day seven: noesis ]
christ is risen!
happy easter. i have been blogging about art through holy week focusing on exhibitions people are putting on which i have found really inspiring. i really hope this is a trend that will grow. but i thought i’d change tack slightly today as the only exhibition i know of focused on the resurrection i already blogged about on day 2! so i thought i would put up an icon of the resurrection. i’m not by any means an expert on icons but this image is clearly a classic one that there are several versions of in various traditions (just google resurrection icon).
in the centre is jesus christ risen from the dead. he is standing on the gates of death or hades or hell and is literally pulling out adam, and eve is waiting to be pulled out – they represent all of humanity. around jesus are angels and characters from the scriptures such as john the baptist. below in hell there are broken chains and keys. christ’s descent into hell has mant that he has broken the final enemy death and plundered hell and walked out with the key. death is defeated. this is an extraordinary image.
at the heart of the christian faith is the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead. it’s an inspiring story that gives hope to those struggling and in darkness or literally experiencing hellish situations. but i think to just see it as an inspiring story of death and new life or simply as a metaphor misses the point. if christ has not been raised from death there is no christian faith. but if he has then everything has changed. [archbishop rowan williams in his sermon today makes pretty much the same point]. i wrote a song on the grace album quite a few years back that seems to go with this image…
where o death is your sting where is your victory
christ has plumbed the depths of hell and walked out with the key
this hope inspires mein the midst of struggling recall the memory
christ has triumphed over death the final enemy
this hope inspires methe dawning of a new age a new humanity
redemption of creation christ is the guarantee
this hope inspires me
if you’d like a listen i have uploaded it here –