Christ Suffered?

There are 21 missions dotting California's coast. They were built in the 18th and 19th centuries and still stand. They start start in San Diego and end just a bit north of San Francisco. The San Gabriel Mission is ten minutes from my house.

It's a beautiful place with a huge church and garden/graveyard. But what struck me most was this hundreds year old painting of Christ on the cross:

I've irregularly attended three churches in two states over the years and have never seen anything like this. The crucifix that hangs above our front door looks nothing like this.

Look at how bloody it is. And it's still histroically inaccurate. It still pales in comparison to what really happened. And yet, every representation of Christ on the cross I've seen is bloodless save a wound in the side. Why?

The suffering is as important a message as anything in the Gospels. I understand why secularists don't want that compelling part of the story told, but I don't understand why the church doesn't.

As a kid, whenever I was told Christ died for our sins my thought was "Big deal. So what?" When you're the Son of God and know you're going to Heaven; dying is not a big deal. If you know you're going to Heaven why would dying be a sacrifice? That's not blasphemy, it's a good question. It's also why understanding the suffering is so important. Mel Gibson understood that. That's why he focused on it. Understanding the suffering -- knowing that secular historians describe scourging and crucifixion as a horrible way to die -- and knowing the historical Christ willingly accepted this fate -- is a crucial message. 

Most of the critics hammering The Passion of the Christ did so because of the violence. Some called it pornographic. But was it the violence or was it the persuasive effects of telling that part of Christ's story? Here's an interesting exercise:

Sin City is a film filled with dismemberments, disembowelments, torture, castration, and pedophilia. The Passion is an historically accurate depiction of scourging and Crucifixion.

Now compare the reviewers who raved about Sin City to those who panned The Passion and tell me it was the violence that offended them.

UPDATE: I should point out that it was the Hot Little Number I call Mrs. Harry who wondered why the only violence critics find intolerable is that which portrays the suffering of Our Lord for our sins.

Comments

[USMC_Vet]

I have to admit, I came here fishing for your e-mail addresses primarily...and could not leave without reading this post. It grabbed me.

This post concludes as powerfully and as truthful as any post one will likely read any time soon or has read recently.

Dead Solid Perfect, boys.

Well done.

[Michael Vezie]

The difference is a theological one. I can't speak for protestants (I'm an Orthodox Christian). When The Passion of the Christ came out last year, my bishop gave a sermon about it. He hadn't seen it (and I haven't either), but he said a couple things.

1, it's not historically accurate. An actual crucifixion is much worse than you'll see in any movie. Crucifixion is a very nasty way to die. You have to constantly push yourself up on your feet (that are already hurting, what with the nails and all), or you'll suffocate. So you rest your feet, but then your arms pull your chest, and you can't breathe. Not pleasant.

2, The Gospels dedicate just a few passages to the Passion, but a lot more to the Resurrection, showing us what priority we should put on either. In the Orthodox Church, we read about the Passion on Holy Thursday night (in anticipation of Holy Friday), but that's just one night. We then spend the 40 days after Pascha (what others call "Easter") celebrating the Resurrection (which we also celebrate almost every Sunday throughout the year).

The theological difference between Orthodox and Roman Catholic beliefs is that Roman Catholic theology is based (as I understand it) on the chivalric code, where the severity of an insult is based on the recipient, while the importance of a compliment is based on the giver (for example, no one cares if you insult a peasant, but woe betide you if you insult a king. Similarly, if a king pays you a compliment, that's a much bigger thing than if a peasant pays you one). So when Adam insulted God by eating the apple, it was a very big deal that could only be countered by an equally big deal, namely God's Son suffering. And (again, according to Roman Catholic theology) the more the Son suffers, the better off we are. That's why Roman Catholic artwork shows all the blood in the Passion (the bloodier the better (off we are)).

For Orthodox Christians, the Crucifixion is more a means to an end. If He didn't die then He couldn't have destroyed death.

Michael

[JRP]

I don't think the Chivalric ideal thing is in play - it was certainly never mentioned or discussed in my studies of Theology - sounds more like a myth - a convenient explanation given by someone outside the Faith. Plus, I don't buy it: Augustine's Civitas Dei predated Charlemagne by 400 years, and the former is more normative to RC theology.

I would assert the importance of suffering is tied up with the 'fully man' part of the dual nature of Christ. By necessity, he was required to undergo the deepest depths of the temptations and pain of human experience - of which physical suffering is one (nontrivial, admittedly) component, but spiritual suffering is the bigger one: the Garden Agony (anxiety/fear), for instance, and the passion's ultimate low point is the Abandonment (My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?). This was Christ's descent into the living hell of the desolation of soul caused in us by feeling as if God has turned away (considered by Catholics the deepest 'state of sin' in man) - but even there He triumphs, since his next line, from those deep depths, is "Into Your hands...".

Blood's use in Catholic art, well, like all Catholic art, is representative (spes - symbolic), not sacramental (sacramentum).

It is an outward expresssion that calls to mind the deeper things - that of spiritual suffering. I would posit that well-formed Catholics would describe the phenomenon of bloody depiction as arising from being merely unflinching at the sight or thought of blood, contrary to those who might want to pretty it up, make it less messy. By making it less messy, it's very possible for others to lose touch with the messy part of Christ's human life and human soul, pushing him further away into a remote, unrelated Godhead.

[Andrea Harris]

Ummm... ah... the "Chivalric Code" developed long after Christianity had taken hold in the world and after the Latin Church (ie, "Roman Catholicism") had been ruling Western Europe for quite some time. Saying "Roman Catholicism is based on the Chivalric Code" is like saying baby cows come from leather purses.

[Ken Summers]

It's not just the theology. Politics is a big part of reviews. The same critics who castigated John Wayne for excessive violence in The Cowboys praised Sam Peckinpah for his "artistic" use of violence in The Wild Bunch.

[Miguel]

Ken:
The reviews about TPOTC are ALL about politics. Zero theology. Harry, what a great posting. USMC saw it, me too, and I'm sure a lot of people. Great insight.God bless you.

[vch]

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