The recent Olympic opening ceremony in Paris sparked controversy with a segment that mimicked Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper. This act led to a viral outcry, with many expressing their outrage through social media posts and statuses. One such post that gained traction on Instagram since July 30, 2024, stated, "I WILL NOT WATCH SOMETHING THAT MOCKS MY SAVIOR," and was shared by about 192,000 people.
This controversy raises the question in my mind: Who is to be blamed for this? And when I say this, I don’t mean the Olympic committee. I mean the whole issue in general.
Why do we continue to create images of Jesus or God despite clear biblical instructions to the contrary? The Bible clearly says, "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below" (Exodus 20:4). So, why do we disobey?
Has anyone truly seen the form of Jesus or God? Even the famous Shroud of Turin, believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus, was dated by three independent laboratories in 1988 to the Middle Ages, specifically between 1260 and 1390 CE, disproving its authenticity as a first-century artifact (Wikipedia) (Phys.org). By creating images of Jesus, we are not only disobeying God's command, but we are also setting the stage for these images to be mocked or mimicked.
For instance, the act that sparked this controversy juxtaposed a scene from the Olympics with Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper. Neither the modern image nor da Vinci’s painting represents the true form of Jesus. Yet, they evoke strong reactions and sometimes, mockery.
The frustration is understandable. However, imagine if we had obeyed God's word in the first place, where He clearly says, "Do not make images of Me in any form." This would not have happened at all. There wouldn’t be any images to mock. By creating these images, we open the door for them to be misused.
Consider other examples of misuse. One advertisement depicted Jesus and His disciples in a pizza ad, mimicking the Last Supper. Another showed a tattoo of Jesus on a porn star. These representations are not just disrespectful; they are a direct consequence of not following God’s instructions. We can’t stop the recreation of such images, but we can start by following God's commands and not making any images of Him in any form.
The Bible states in Deuteronomy 4:15-16, "Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman." By disobeying this command, we invite mockery and disrespect.
This situation serves as a reminder of the consequences when we start worshiping images. There is nothing inherently wrong in creating a painting or an artwork that depicts a biblical situation as a reminder of faith and history. What goes wrong is when we end up worshiping something that we don't know is the true form of the God we worship. Giving the character a form can lead it to end up in places where it shouldn’t.
Imagine God saying "I told you..."
Again, I am not excusing the Olympic committee for creating such a mockery. Directly or indirectly, they were pointing to Jesus and the Last Supper, which is BAD and UNACCEPTABLE. In fact, no one should mock any religion or anyone in any form. I only say we need to understand who caused it. It’s by creating images first when God said not to, and then we create a platform for argument.
Think about it. By following God's instructions, we can uphold the sanctity of our faith without images that can be misrepresented or mocked.
HOPE that's worth considering.
By Nancet Marques
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