Posts Tagged ‘Resurrection’

Resurrection and beyond

April 29, 2013

A detailed look at the various passages according to St Paul. A series of post-Easter talks by Canon Robert Cotton of Holy Trinity and St Mary’s.

Week III Paul and four paintings.

For both the Greeks and Jews, resurrection represents a paradigm shift.

For Greeks, death was a one way journey of no return. Not annihilation, a shadowy existence as shades. A few eminent persons, heroes and the like, may have a temporary earthly existence as shades.

For Jews, it was a developing concept. Pharisees had the concept of martyrs, fighting the enemy, a glorious death, to be resurrected to join the final victors. Not so the Sadducees, they were content as the ruling class, and the last thing they wished to see or encourage were martyrs to overthrow the existing order, they dismissed the idea of martyrdom, and victory as a shared experience.

the empty tomb

the empty tomb

An empty tomb. Shock at finding it empty. Where was the body? But to then simply go home!

Greek icon resurrection of the dead

Greek icon resurrection of the dead

A Greek icon. Jesus resurrecting the dead at the end of time.

The Resurrection, Cookham (1924-1927) - Sir Stanley Spencer (1891-1959)

The Resurrection, Cookham (1924-1927) – Sir Stanley Spencer (1891-1959)

As Jesus died on the Cross, the skies turned black, the Temple curtain was torn in two. Or does it signify the end of time? Very Gothic, very Victorian.

The Gospels speak of the Resurrection of Christ, Paul takes this further, the resurrection of everyone.

John Updike, in Seven Stanzas at Easter, asks us to not mock God with metaphor, in other words, accept the harsh reality.

A little girl asked: How does God make people real? Then she answered her own question: First he draws them, then he colours them in.

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