What did Jesus of Mazareth look like? We have neither contemporary pictorial representations of him, nor even a description in words by any of those who knew him. Yet you can probably conjure up an image in your mind’s eye: of a long-haired, bearded man, looking rather older than someone in his early thirties might be expected to, somewhat unkempt, and stern or smiling according to your taste. Eastern icons, Renaissance artists and twentieth-century film-makers have all contributed to and reinforced this impression. Even when you know it has little basis in fact, it can be hard to shake off. Of course, Christian faith does not require a believer to hold any particular view about the appearance of Jesus. It seems, though, that the process of arriving at an image of one’s own can itself help us to deepen this faith.
£3.00
0