Sacrificial Love - Musee Chagall, Nice.

 

Sacrificial Love

 

 

It was May 2000 and on the Cote d’Azur, the weather was perfect. Two men, one very young, climbed the hill to the wonderful Chagalle Museum at Nice. It was a fair step, but sight of it alone was reward enough for the effort. Set in gardens, its modern lines appealed through their ability to merge the building’s angularity with the graceful lines of the palm trees and tropical shrubs which surround it. On entering they were fascinated to see row upon row of Chagalle’s sketches and jottings for the biblical series that was stunningly exhibited on the larger walls. It was many years since the older man, in fact the father of the other, had opened a Bible or considered spiritual things and the sight of some of these predominantly religious paintings shook him to the core. He realised too that, while his son had a cursory, schoolboy knowledge of the great biblical themes, they had never discussed them; he was ill prepared for the intensity of what faced him today.

 

The older man called the younger over “See! Here’s Noah being given the covenant after the flood.” The knowledge from his past, before his cooling toward the things of God flooded back. In the days of his Christian ministry, he had been a teacher rather than an evangelist and he   explained the Old Testament stories with a sense of authority. The youth listened with rapt interest as the commentary took in angels, kings and a pair that could only be Adam and Eve, naked among beast, fish and fowl in a garden. 

 

“That of course was the start of it all,” said the elder, cryptically.

 

The young man walked slowly toward a painting. It was a strange subject, as a bearded man, knife raised, leaned over a boy strapped to an altar. An angel hovered above; a ram struggled in a thicket. As a remote backdrop, a man struggled up a hill bearing a cross, surrounded by figures. From him appeared to come a red stream, illuminating the bearded man with the knife.

 

“Symbolism, the man told his companion – symbolism – old Jewish stuff – the shedding of blood – to do with the Passover, remission of sins and such.” He looked awkward.  Embarrassed even. “That’s Abraham, you see. The founding father of Israel – the lad is his son Isaac.”

 

The youth too looked uncomfortable. “Dad” he said. Their relationship was established. “Did he kill him?”

 

“No – I think he would have but God sent him a ram for the sacrifice.” 

 

“Would you kill me – I mean if God told you to? And what’s that cross all about?”

 

“Well that’s Calvary where God allowed His own Son to be put to death for the sin of the world.” He studiously avoided the first part of the question, and as though afraid of the answer, his son did not labour the point

“Why didn’t he just have a ram or something killed, Dad? That’s what he did for Abraham.” 

 

The lad was at an age when emotion’s defences were easily breached and there was a catch in his voice. As a son himself, he felt an affinity with the man carrying the cross, and he was becoming quite disturbed. The situation was uncomfortable. The father, like the prodigal that he indeed was, was feeling a restored affinity with both Abraham and with his God. His reply was profound:

 

“Son, Jesus had to die; you see, behind that Father, there was nobody to send a ram.”

 

  

 

Reviews

[Salvatore Buttaci]

You did a very good job with this story. I have only one reservation: The father seems so knowledgeable about the Bible's Old and New Testaments and yet he never passed on that knowledge to his son who seems to know nothing of the Cross or of the Isaac story. Somehow somewhere earlier in the story we have to be told why this is so if we are to believe the story. This is called "foreshadowing," dropping hints early in the story so readers accept the plot and resolution. Maybe the father had a bad experience with his own father who refused to make sacrifices for his family. Maybe the elder's father was a religious hypocrite which turned the elder against religion and passing on religion to his son. Maybe he looks at these paintings in an aesthetic way only. Do you follow what I mean?

Sal

[Steven]

Bravo, and amazing. Wow, that last line sent chills down my spine. Excellent job! I want to see more of this. Haha.

--Steven
:].

[Salvatore Buttaci]

I like your story, though I would save some of the introductory material for later and open with a grabber. But it's very good writing, John.

[Salvatore Buttaci]

Much better! Still, here's another suggestion you may or may not agree with. I think the first sentence should be: The older man called the younger over "See! Here's Noah being given the covenant after the flood." which you use later on. It reads like a great hook. The beginning description can follow it./


Sal

[me]

I am not a religious person by any stretch of the imagination, but this is a wonderful piece of work. Poignant and touching and telling a point. Great job I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and the feeling that I took away from it.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Being mortal is merely a debt to be paid. To be mortal is to sin and the wages of sin is death. It really is a simple equation. Angels walk the earth in human form but they are angels just the same. And these angels are spared the knowledge of their own Spirit for pride and pity's sake so that they do not see themselves as angels. But...everyone around them will know. You have known. God's messengers of peace and love still preach to stuffed ears and hardened hearts. I knew an old lady whose life was God and she died. It is hard to say that she was saved...she certainly was not spared. But she had a debt to pay for her mortality and has returned to her immortality. I say "returned" for surely such souls must come forth from God. It has been my physical experience that most things return to that from which they came. I never saw or heard of a diamond turning back to a chunk of coal though. The measure of love is sacrifice; so He who loves the most MUST by way of prooving that love (TO PROVE HIMSELF WORTHY AND TRUE) sacrifice the most. And Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this; that he lay down his life for his friends." In that sort of context, the entire premise for Christianity is exposed, just this; to place the importance and well being of others above one's own. Simple humble sacrifice. Humanity is just not smart enough to get the message without a great drama to paint the picture for them. I expect God does whatever it takes. Great "made me think" read this morning. I like Marc Chagalle paintings but have not seen many sketches.

[emmajoy]

Oh my.. that final line hits home, it's such an unexpected ending to what appears to be a straightforward story about art and faith, in spite of the lad's questions.

You write in a concise but flowing style which I so admire - being a waffler. And i inevitably come away from your posts having learned something, whether it's about a person or a place or whatever... you're not only a fine story weaver but a teacher - so, you truly give proverbial 'value for money'

Thank you very much for sharing and for ending in a truly thought-provoking way.