I'm not sure if you guys have picked it up from the past few Awkward & Awesomes (I know I missed one!), but Josh and I are actually not living together this summer. Most people who hear this and don't know us very well seem to automatically assume that this means we are separated, probably waiting on a divorce.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
My husband loves me so much that he is working around 60 hours a week (often twelve hours at a time overnight shifts) to provide for me and our future family. A job opportunity opened up in our former hometown back in Pennsylvania that paid more than double what Josh was making here in Rochester. To recuperate the savings we spent while in Europe, we agreed it would be worth the time apart to make that much-needed cash.
Well, after three months of only seeing each other on weekends (sometimes!), we're not so sure it was worth it anymore. But the end is finally in sight! August 19th is Josh's last day, and hopefully some time shortly after that we'll be able to celebrate our anniversary properly--
At last! The long-awaited continuation of the inspiring controversy . . .
There are some real gems in this final installment. These artist's depictions are truly brilliant and thought-provoking. While some of these works of art contain objectionable content, what I am assessing is their treatment of the character of Jesus Christ and nothing more.
If you find yourself upset or offended by anything your read here, I recommend reading the introduction to this two-part post before exploring these artistic representations of Jesus Christ.
In Film
The Miracle Maker
While this film utilizes what are at times comically old-fashioned clay-mation techniques, the voice acting is absolutely superb.Big names such as William Hurt, Alfred Molina, and Ian Holm (Bilbo in The Lord of the Rings!) have lent their voices to major characters in the story; and perhaps most astonishingly, Ralph Fiennes, having portrayed of some of the most evil characters in film history (Voldemort, anyone?), has undertaken the heady task of playing the voice of Jesus Christ, the Miracle Maker.
Unfortunately, embedding any of the clips of The Miracle Maker is forbidden by YouTube, so you'll have to leave the blog to watch the video here. While you should definitely make time to watch the whole film at some point, I would recommend skipping to around 3:20 of this particular clip to get a taste of what I love best about this depiction of Jesus. He is a holy savior, but he is also a hard-working carpenter and above all, a friend. I love the cheesy jokes that he and his friends Martha, Mary, Lazarus and others laugh at during this casual dinner party scene.
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Yes, that is Christian Bale in a tunic.
I admittedly have mixed feelings about this film, because I'm pretty sure it's straight-up sacrilegious to find Jesus attractive. Anyway, what I do appreciate about this particular representation is the attention to Jesus' periods of growing up. This particular Jesus focuses so much on just becoming a good man before He even thinks about becoming the Messiah.There are moments when it's easy to forget that this man is the Son of God and not just an average guy from Galilee who has to go through difficulties as He grows up but who also experiences times of joy. He laughs and dances; He cries and even mopes a little. He is your typical twenty-something.
The crucifixion scene in this film is especially heartbreaking, as Jesus is presented as nothing more than a young man who just wishes that his mother could make the pain go away :-(. I dare you not to cry if you get your hands on this film.
Joshua
Joshua (Tony Goldwyn) is supposed to be the modern-day incarnation of Jesus Christ. While his humble and non-biblical second coming brings up all sorts of theological issues in and of themselves, other than this, the secular film is surprisingly biblical in its message.
In all honesty, Joshua is almost the exact image of what I imagine a modern-day Jesus to be. He is a chill, down-to-earth, and slightly socially awkward sweetheart who loves people to pieces. He shows up in a religiously ultra-conservative but spiritually almost-dead community and completely turns the tables. Of course, like the Jesus of the gospels, he doesn't preach revolution or damnation. Instead he condemns the manipulation of both the religiously legalistic conservatives and the charismatic liberals through his lifestyle of love and sacrifice. Faith, he declares, is not about what happens in a pew or at a tent revival. It is about being there for people when they need it most.
Same deal as above. Head over to YouTube to watch these clips. I would recommend stopping about six minutes in if you don't want to give away the whole wonderful story.
Jesus is more of a philosophical figure than an actual character in this classic Bob Dylan number, but I still think this is a solid depiction of the Man from Galilee. The main character in this song is one of the finest example pop culture has to offer of what it means to have Jesus Christ living in you and through you. The first stanza is one of my favorites:
Go ahead and talk about him because he makes you doubt
Because he has denied himself the things that you can't live without
Laugh at him behind his back just like the others do
Remind him of what he used to be when he comes walkin' through
He's the property of Jesus . . .
Three more interpretations of Christ (including my all-time favorite) after the jump!
