All Black Icon Why wouldn’t Jesus come back as an All Black?

All Black Icon – Why wouldn’t Jesus come back as an All Black?

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Wellington’s St Paul’s Cathedral has taken a tongue in cheek look at New Zealand’s other religion, rugby. On display in the cathedral for the next few weeks is New Zealand Icon, a painting by local artist Don Little depicting an All Black icon.

“If Jesus was here today why wouldn’t he come back as an All Black?” asks the Anglican Dean of Wellington Frank Nelson. Why is it that images of Jesus always seem to to show him belonging to another age? The renaissance artists did not hesitate to depict Him dressed as a man of their times.

The porteños, as the people of the citizens of Buenos Aires are known, are 90% Catholic and the main city cathedral is a magnificent building. In one ornate alcove stands a statue of Jesus that all Portenos know as Jesus Christ of Football Players, as every championship year the national team comes here to pray before heading overseas to contest the soccer World Cup.

Argentina won the Cup in 1928, but has not been able to repeat the victory since, hence the need for solemn prayer.

Nelson says the purpose of an icon in St Paul’s was to make people think about one of the central beliefs of Christianity – that God, in Christ, became human.

Source