As Christians prepare for Holy Week they will be drawn to remember Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples, the event which Communion/Eucharist is based on.
Recent research has shown however that in artistic depictions of this event portion sizes have significantly increased over time.
Could this be yet another sign of the overindulgent, materialistic Western lifestyle? So used are we to having all that we want, and more, that we find it hard to depict a celebratory meal with only meagre portions.
The implications of this can be seen in rising levels of obesity, especially in the USA.
From a broader perspective, this sort of attitude may well be responsible for collapse of the global financial system, where banks, being driven by greed, took ever increasing risks secure bigger profits. The price of this is that we may all have to tighten our belts and reduce our portion sizes as public spending looks set to drop and taxes look set to rise for years to come.
Exploitation in labour and trade is another symptom of putting profit and personal gain above all else. Many of our high street retailers have been shamed in recent years, due to their use of child labour in sweat shop conditions. How can such rich businesses put their finances above the lives of thousands... yet does the fact that I am wearing my Primark jumper as I write this highlight that this is not just an issue for businesses but for all of us?
The impact of working for profit and personal gain has also taken its toll on the environment and while we are being told to reduce our 'carbon footprint', the biggest polluting countries, USA and China, are very reluctant to sign up to any climate change plans, due to the financial impact.
The events of Holy Week have huge religious significance for millions of Christians but maybe the simple meal of the Last Supper can also have a far more down to earth and practical message for all of us in the 21st Century. One that doesn't require fries on the side...
Click for resources on Business and Environmental Ethics.
Not sure I understand the question, it seems perfectly obvious people express through art their versions of past events which reflect the cultures of the time. I mean, Jesus probably wasn't as good looking as those pictures you see tacked up on Sunday school walls, was he? I mean, the Mormons paint him as a blonde Caucasian.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is the time of year when all preachers have to drag out meaning from the stories; I'd suggest people aren't that interested anymore. Easter is about family, fun, and chocolate nowadays. Maybe we need some different kind of moral guidance than Moses in the reeds, Jesus in the stables, and the last supper. Or maybe we just need some new preachers, cough, the Vatican.