03.04.08
Posted in Announcements, Religion, Textile Discoveries at 10:44 pm by Administrator
There is no textile more “shrouded” in mystery than the Turin Shroud, a 14′ x 4′ piece of linen believed to have been used to wrap the body of Christ, after the crucifixion. The woven cloth has been subjected to scientific tests as sindonologists (those who study the shroud) have sought to prove validity of the claim, or to disprove it, once and for all.
A book in my library is called, The Rape of the Turin Shroud by William Meacham (Lulu, 2005). The author is an archeaologist at the University of Hong Kong who claims that scientific investigations have all but ruined the Christian relic.
On Easter Saturday, the British Broadcasting Company will present a program that discusses recent findings and how the textile has been recently photographed in “high definition” for the first time. This sounds like a fascinating presentation. One can only hope that those of us “across the pond” will be able to view the show sometime.
For more information, see an article by Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News: http://tinyurl.com/3yeuk3 and, for a brief book review, visit: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/more_book_reviews.htm
If you “google” the “Discovery Channel” and key in the search words, “Turin Shroud,” you will be able to view video clips from a professor who has studied this topic extensively and hear about some of his astounding discoveries.
Patricia Cummings
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01.15.08
Posted in Religion at 2:12 pm by Administrator
In art and in storybooks, “Jesus” is painted as a tall, European man with a kind-looking face and long flowing tresses that are somewhat curly. Some Nativity scenes depict the baby Jesus and all around him as Black. I have no knowledge of how Jesus is presented in Asian figurines or paintings, or even if He is visible at all, in any Far East cultures. Scientists recently came up with a model of how Jesus probably looked, considering that he was born in the Middle East. They have stated that Jesus more than likely resembled someone like Yassir Arafat.
photo by James Cummings of sculpture of Jesus; artist unknown
When we think about it, that is not too surprising. On one level, how Jesus physically looked is probably not important. The point is, we generally seem to relate best to people who look as we do. So, the western European version of a “white” Jesus has been the one most often promoted.
In thinking a bit about Jesus this morning, I can see that He embodied the essence of goodness. Reportedly, he loved little children - “Suffer the little children to come unto me,” he healed the sick and the lame, and he even brought Lazarus back from the dead. He walked on water. He multiplied the loaves and the fishes so that there would be enough food to feed the masses, and he turned water into wine. He even gave His life in atonement for sins, yours and mine.
For all these extraordinary things that Jesus is reported to have done, there was always a skeptic, a critic, and a naysayer with a half-baked explanation of why these other-worldly events could not have happened. Even the “Shroud of Turin,” has been scientifically-destroyed. If you would like to read an interesting book, find The Rape of the Shroud of Turin, about which I wrote a book review that is on our website.
Visualize Jesus in any manner that is helpful to you. After all, it is all that he represented that is loved, which supersedes any physical qualities he may have possessed in this earthly life. For more than two thousand years, the story of Jesus has been repeated. That’s a pretty good track record for anyone, in terms of being loved and worshipped.
Will someone remember you or I in two thousand years? That’s rather doubtful, no matter how much money we make, or friends we have, or accomplishments we achieve in this fleeting life. Enjoy what you do, and remember that you have come after the most powerful person who has ever lived. In Spanish, God is called, “El Poderoso,” the most powerful one. Whatever you believe, you can’t help but acknowledge that Jesus, “son of God,” is one person who has truly changed the world.
Patricia Cummings, http://www.quiltersmuse.com
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