Mike's+Connection

=Connection=

Schaeffer offers some very helpful perspectives on modern Christian living, perspectives that have caused me to think critically about my faith. I think that Schaeffer's role of the individual has given me a new appreciation for the Eucharist. Though the Eucharist is not really a part of Schaeffer's thesis, I believe his ideas illumine the Christian practice of communing with one another. The Eucharist gives meaning to the individual. The particulars, to use the parlance of the humanist school of thought, are given meaning in the context of a mystical supper. The individual is divorced from the Christian community when he/she is not actively taking part in drinking of wine and eating of bread. These sacraments are what unify human beings and draw them closer to God.

Though I appreciate most of what Schaeffer argues in his book, I'm not sure that I agree with his analysis of art in the MIddle Ages and the Renaissance. He seems to value the realistic portrayal of humans and nature over the figurative and symbolic portrayals that were so common in Byzantium. In the Protestant tradition, artwork is not an essential component of the theology. However, in eastern traditions the holy icons are designed to point toward higher truths. They do not focus on realism simply because realism is not the purpose of the image. For example, an icon of the crucifixion is not intended to call attention to the anatomical precision of the depiction of Christ's body or the pain that he endured on the cross. Instead, the icon is intended to emphasize both the sacrifice that Christ made for humankind and the resurrection that was to follow. In other words, the icon transcends itself, focusing on that which is mystical and divine.

One of the scriptures that comes to my mind when thinking about Schaeffer's argument is Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This verse supports the idea that Christ is the absolute that provides all people the opportunity to become unified. Because of his sacrifice there is meaning to life.

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