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Richard Littledale

Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: April 2007

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chaliceSweet Jesushot cross bun

hot cross bun There's nothing like a chocolate novelty to cause a stir. American artist Cosimo Cavallero's 1.8 metre sculpture of Christ entitled 'My Sweet Lord' could hardly be called a novelty, however. Made from 90 kg of milk chocolate, and depicting a fully naked Christ, it was due to hang in the Lab gallery in New York throughout Easter week (see BBC website). In the event, the storms of protest have led to the withdrawal of the exhibit before its official opening. In this we have at least been spared the spectacle of gallery visitors gorging themselves on the statue when it is broken up at the end of the exhibition on Easter Sunday - which had been the artist's original intention. Views shares the view of many that despite its sweet flavour, the statue was lacking in taste. It would be interesting to know, though, what exactly people found the most offensive.

chalice Was it the fact that Christ was naked? In fact Cavallero has been accurate in portraying him as such. The aim of crucifixion was the absolute humiliation of its victim, and to this end no scrap of dignity was permitted. Loin cloths are not so much so last year, as so not there.

hot cross bun Was it the fact that what some daintily called this 'anatomically correct' Christ was to hang above the heads of visitors like some circus performer? This would surely not be inappropriate, since crucifixion was a popular spectacle in Jesus' day. Unlike visitors to many a gallery, crowds in Jerusalem would have visited it for free. In the narrow streets of the city, swollen to overflowing for the Passover festival, a free spectacle outside the city limits would have been a boon to many. Ironically, Christians would say that at the moment of crucifixion it was actually Christ making a spectacle of the powers of evil, rather than the other way around.

chalice Perhaps the final straw for irate Christians was the idea of people eating this chocolate Jesus at the end of the week. As those who regularly celebrate communion with words such as 'the body of Jesus broken for you', this might seem a strange argument for those outside the church. Isn't the weekly or monthly celebration of this act in a context of worship more shocking than an artist making a rather cheap point? If Christians don't feel they have some explaining to do when it comes to the way they share bread and wine and what they mean by it, then perhaps it is too long since they last took a breath outside the church.

hot cross bun That the son of God should be humiliated, broken and put to death by violent men, and that this was done as a selfless act of love is far more shocking than any exhibit in any gallery could ever be. Every time Christians share broken bread and poured out wine, and every time they shudder within at what it means, they pledge their undying loyalty to their sweet Lord.

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