A very amusing art installation has sparked outrage among Christian lawyers. The piece, created by the artist Álex Peña, was installed in Seville and was a children's ride like those found in shopping malls, which move when you insert a coin. However, this one was free. The fairground machine represented, in a charmingly naive style, the canopy of the Virgin of El Rocío. Children could sit on the Virgin's throne, and the ride would sway, just as the sacred image does when it is carried in procession. When the ride was activated, it even played the... Hail, Rocío womanThe proposal was part of the activities promoted by the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory to commemorate the legacy of the painter José Pérez Ocaña within the events Spain in freedom for 50 years
The attraction was an overwhelming success with children while it was on display in Pelican Square, and videos of enthusiastic parents quickly went viral on social media. Detractors consider it disrespectful and irreverent, trivializing the spirituality of the image. Supporters of the attraction, on the other hand, value its innocence and sense of humor.
Conversation in Catalan with the Messiah
Faced with the controversy, the magic of artificial intelligence now allows us to consult directly with Jesus. He is the one who would have the power to break the tie. The website AskJesus.me facilitates conversation in Catalan with the messiah: "Don't worry about the language you speak. My Father hears all hearts, in any language. Come to me as you are, and you will find that my peace transcends all human barriers." It also indicates that it is not necessary to believe in God to consult him: "Come with sincerity and I will answer you." I explain to him, with feigned concern, the controversy surrounding the childhood attraction: "Daughter, don't focus so much on the things of this world that cause arguments and division. If this attraction leads you to think of your Mother with love, good; but if it distracts you from the love you should have for one another, then you have lost your way. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. Love is not found in symbols or arguments, but in how you treat your neighbor and how you lift your heart to Heaven."
I criticize him for avoiding taking a stand: "The clarity you seek doesn't come from your own strength, but from my peace, which surpasses all understanding." Then I suggest that faith perhaps should have more of a sense of humor, and he seems to justify himself: "When I was on earth, I often shared meals and joyful moments with people. True faith isn't about serious faces or rigid rituals; it's about the full life I came to offer." I tell him I need to know if he would go on the ride: "My child, my daughter, I'm not here to tell you which earthly attractions you should go on. Your heart is searching for something deeper, isn't it?" I persist: "What weighs more? The artist's intention, the children's joy, or the sensitivity of those offended?" And he replies: "This question seeks to weigh things that cannot be measured on earthly scales." I ask him what he thinks his mother would think about this matter. And, digging a little deeper, Jesus seems fed up with dialogue: "Come to me, all you who are weary of these earthly struggles, and I will give you rest and a freedom beyond all understanding." It's a way of saying don't make him choose between the creatures of attraction and the offended devotees. Jesus simply offers rest.
The artwork was on display for only four hours. Thank goodness it was to commemorate 50 years of democratic freedom.
