Christo
 There
is a famous
image in
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, which
I had heard
about but
which I "experienced" while
visiting
my daughter
in that city
some years
ago. The
large state
of Christ
the Redeemer,
better known
as "Christo," looms
710 meters
above the
city. In
Brazil,
as in many
Latin American
countries,
there is
a great
distinction
between
the wealthy
and the
poor. Yet
Christ stands,
with hands
outstretched
to embrace
all people.
In
preparing
for my trip
to Brazil,
my daughter
informed that
it was summertime.
So I left
my umbrella
at home and
brought two
bathing suits
instead! But
it rained
almost the
whole time
I was there.
From my daughter's
apartment,
I would look
up at the
hill toward
Christo. Most
of the time
Christo was
surrounded
by clouds
as the skies
darkened with
impending
rain. But
I knew Christo
was there,
and that when
the darkness
had passed,
Christo would
emerge in
the sunlight
as a symbol
of hope, inclusively
and unconditional
love.
Sometimes
when we look
up into the
skies on a
cloudy, overcast
night, we
can't see
the stars.
We know they
are shining
with the same
intensity,
only our vision
of them has
been obscured.
In the same
way, there
are those
dark times
in our lives
when we cannot
feel the Creator's
love and outstretched
arms. But
just as Christo
is always
there ready
to embrace
and accept
us just as
we are, we
live in faith
that there
will be signs
of the Creator's
love breaking
through our
personal darkness.
It
is ironic
that my daughter
and I took
the tram up
to see Christo
during the
one day when
there were
a few hours
of sunlight.
I was so awed
by this image
that I took
a whole roll
of film. I
was looking
forward to
getting back
my prints
(before digital
cameras),
but was devastated
to find that
I had inadvertently
double-exposed
the roll.
And so, all
my pictures
of Christo
are superposed
with pictures
I had taken
of the countryside,
a waterfall
in the rain
forest, the
downtown Centro
district and
the favellas
or slum areas.
While
double-exposing
those pictures
was a mistake,
I found that
they only
enhanced my
own experience
of Christ
the Redeemer
who watches
over the wealthy,
the poor,
the city,
the country
and Brazil's
natural beauty.
For me, that
became an
epiphany experience...a
sign, a manifestation,
a revelation
of the God's
love and acceptance
of the whole
world.
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