Noel Counihan is one of my favourite Australian artists. In this 1972 painting Laughing Christ No 10 he has the taken the traditional image of the Crucified Christ and inculturated the theology into an iconic Australian male leaning on a fence post.
The image is a response by Counihan to the support of Christian leaders for the Vietnam war. This image is an anti war statement that remains a powerful challenge to the Church when it fails to protect the vulnerable.
Beyond Vietnam we carry the dark history of Rwanda and the global scourge of clergy sexual abuse. Counihan's Christ mock's our religious devotion when it fails to deliver compassion and justice. This is not unlike the cries of prophets of the Hebrew scriptures.
This Friday will only be good if we take seriously the words and deeds of Jesus to build a world of compassion and justice so that all may have life and have it to the full (Jn 10;10)
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