December 1998 Issue

With this text, the focus is on the theme of "identity." As I pondered on the passage, it occurred to me that within the question that the imprisoned John asks, ("Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?") lies the essence of a bigger, overarching question that he asks on behalf of the world. The question that John is really asking Jesus is, "Who are you?" "Are you the Messiah or not?" "If you are the Messiah, how do we know?" Jesus' answer, in my view, resembles the answer of an artist.

Our modern culture is obsessed with knowing the "true identity" of artists. We want to know the "real story" about our favorite actor, singer, painter, or musician. Recently we have witnessed the entrance of many television shows about the entertainment industries. Some examples are Entertainment Tonight and Extra. They are geared specifically at getting the inside scoop on our favorite stars. In addition, there are many movies made in this vain, such as the television movie about Liz Taylor, and big screen films such as Immortal Beloved (about the life of Beethoven), The Doors (about the 60s rock group led by rock icon Jim Morrison), and the drama turned movie Amadeus (about the life and death of composer Wolfgang Mozart). These films fulfill our curiosity about the famous people, both of the past and those in the present time. We want to know everything about what they are really like, and who they really are "behind closed doors."

Ironically, however, the best way to get to know what an artist is "really like" is to get familiar with their works of art. It is in an artist's work that we see what she really believes, what she values, what she has to say, what experiences she has had, what her hopes and dreams are. An artist's work is the sign of who she really is. When we listen to the work of the folk singer Tracy Chapman, for instance, her songs help us discover who she really is. Her song Talkin' Bout a Revolution, tells audiences a lot about her world view, her assessment of what is happening now, and her prediction of the future.

This "work" shows us Chapman's identity. She is an advocate for the poor, she is a visionary, she is on a mission of social justice. The rock and roll band U2 also shows us their "true colors" through their lyrics in the song I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

When we experience the work of Bono, the lead singer of the group, we know something about his identity. He is a man who has clear Christian roots, yet has many questions. He is struggling between what he believes, and what he is "still looking for."

In the text, Jesus Christ is also acting as an artist. When asked the question, "Who are you," he answers with, "look at my work." He is a healer of blind people, he is an advocate of the poor, he is one who brings new life and healing to a broken world.

Another important dimension in art is that of genre. When a new artist comes on the scene, we like to be able to put him in a category. What kind of a composer is he? Is he classical? Contemporary? New Age? Jazz? What kind of actress is she? Stage? Drama? Comedy? Television? Film? We are able to put these artists into genres based on characteristics and conventions that fit with each genre.

Garth Brooks is as an example. We know that he is a pop country singer through the conventions and traditions of country music. He has a kind of "yodel" and a southern drawl in his voice when he sings, he usually has a typical "country band" backing him up, including acoustic guitar, fiddle, and steel guitar, and he even wears a big cowboy hat when he gives concerts. Through these traditions, we know that he is a country singer. He "fits the mold." He does what country singers do.

The question that John the Baptist asks also can be interpreted as asking for Jesus' "genre." He wants Jesus to tell the people how they should consider him. He answers by lifting up the "conventions" of a Messiah. By quoting Isaiah, Jesus says, "Look, can't you see that I fit the mold of a Messiah?"

The question, then, comes back to us. What genre do we put Jesus into? It is often very easy for us to lift up certain "works" of Jesus and claim that he is in the genre that we prefer (social activist, friend, radical, traditionalist). Jesus, however, is one of those artists that we cannot completely pin down. In the same way that many music traditions blend into one another, forming new things, Jesus Christ carries a whole range of identities into one entity of God on earth. He is both king and servant, he is both a healer and a divider, he is both human and divine, he is Messiah. So as we move ever closer toward Christmas, let us recognize Christ for the artist that he is through his artwork in our lives and in our world.

Bill Buchanan