Jesus and Atlas

Leonard Sweet once asked his theology students to compare and contrasts two these images—one of Atlas and the other of Jesus. Atlas was the character in Greek mythology that was forced by Zeus to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. The statue of Jesus is of a child who carries this world represented by a small orb. One of the students made this comparison--

I want to give an attention to the context in which the Atlas stands. The Atlas statue is in the entrance court of the New York City's Rockefeller Center, directly across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's one of the most prominent public sculptures in the New York city. In other words, hundreds of people, if not more, see this statue everyday. You don't have to seek this statue. If you pass by the Rockefeller Center, it's right there. What image or message does this public statue convey to people? The world is a burden for us to carry on our shoulder. You need to be strong, masculine, and mighty to survive this world. The more you carry, the more load is saddled on your shoulder.

In contrast, this small statue of Jesus the child is located behind the altar at St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's not a public statue. Rather you would seek it out. This statue has an unassuming appearance. He seems to be at peace with himself being a child who is small and weak. And yet, he is holding an orb in his hand. For him, the world is not something you have to carry as punishment. On the contrary, it's something to embrace.

The story of Jesus is that of a God of unlimited power and holiness who came into the world of weakness and sin to rescue us from ourselves. He ultimately does carry the world on His shoulders, but he does so as part of the world of flesh and blood. He wants to carry us because he loves us so much; He wants to carry us all the way back home with Him.