Communion #14

As I reflect upon the death of Jesus, I can’t help but produce this romanticised version in my head. Maybe it’s because of the many artworks I’ve seen that display the purity of His sacrifice. They beautify his image to communicate his divinity.

But the truth is, that the crucifixion would have been messy. Apologies for sounding rather vulgar and uncouth. But it would not have been a pretty sight. It would have been graphic and disturbing. We wouldn’t have taken our impressionable children to this event. 

And the crucifix was not the first un-pretty sight we see Jesus being a part of. He was also birthed in a stable amongst animals whom the space would have usually belonged to. Labour is a messy business! And she would not have had the hospital support we are so often accustomed to. 

And of course there was the baby stage, which Mary would have had the unique experience of cleaning His waste. Then of course He would have been a toddler, with all the mess that eventuates from that stage of life. And of course later in life Jesus got down to wash his disciples feet. Which would not have looked like our pedicured feet that rarely touch the ground. Their feet would have been dirty!

What all of this should remind us of though, is that as humans we have the tendency to seek perfection. Even in our imagination. But God is very comfortable with the mess. It is not necessarily His desire to seek the kind of perfection we seek, with pristine images, comfortable decor and spotless homes. When God talks about perfection He refers to character and heart. 

Maybe it's our own inner desire for the divine that seeks to silence the messiness of humanity that we are accustomed to, and often feel ashamed of. But we ought not to get confused: God is not repulsed by what makes us human. He is not moving away from the mess. In fact, He is so unperturbed by the mess that He became human and experienced all that makes humanity messy…just for the mere possibility that we might be a raw and wonderful mess in His presence, in relationship. He does not reject what we are often disgusted by, He embraces it all without embarrassment.