December 16, 2004
blue christmas
Christmas, for some people, is a blue time. It's not joy and presents, but a time when they remember absent loved ones, face dysfunctional families or financial hardship. So last nite, I ran a Blue Christmas service.
As part of it, I invited people to tie a knot (using blue twisty tie) onto a white sheet, suspended in the middle of the room. This served to allow us to remember what makes us/our friends "blue."
I then projected the art image below onto the cloth and onto our "blues. (My sister-in-law sent me the link last week).
Painted in 1515, its titled the Adoration of the Christ Child. The painter is unknown. Look closely at the faces of the angel beside Mary and the shepherd standing. Psychiatrists have diagnosed them both as having Downs Syndrome.
Angels and shepherds, as Downs syndrome, adoring Christ. This raised some fascinating reflections.
1. Is the stigma of Downs Syndrome a recent societal phenomenon, and were such people an accepted part of the artists world of 1515?
2. Can we accept Downs Syndrome as part of the birth of Christ? Can we accept the love and worship that such people offer? What does it mean for our church communities to be places that include such people?
3. What does this art piece do to our notions of a Blue Christmas?
For a high res version from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, go here.
For more information on the medical background go here.
Posted by opawa at December 16, 2004 02:38 PM | TrackBack