Jesus at St Mary & All Saints' Church, Swarby

The Church of St Mary & All Saints in Swarby, Lincolnshire, dates back to the 13th century but has undergone much Victorian ‘restoration’. It seems like a very standard though attractive rural parish church, with its belltower, arches and chancel. In what was once the rood loft doorway, well above ground level, someone has placed a carved statue of Jesus Christ, enthroned, which likely dates back to the 1200s. The original would have been painted and colourful, but today it is the just the colour of the original stone. More sadly, its head has been knocked off. Whether this was an accident of age, or a deliberate action on the part of reformer or puritan to rid the building of a dangerous, graven image, one cannot tell.

Even if the head was still extant, however, and the vibrant paintwork restored, it would still be a poor representation of the glorified Lord Jesus, from whose dazzling brilliance and overwhelming beauty the seraphim must shield their many eyes. Our depictions, be they mental or tangible, will only ever be childish scribbles at best, and offensive relegations at worst. Better to have no image at all than to attempt to dull His awesome brilliance or shortchange His glorious majesty. Wrote the apostle, via John Wycliffe (1382):

And in the myddil of the seuene goldun candelstikis oon lijk to the sone of man, clothid with a long garnement, and gird at the tetis with a goldun girdil. And the heed of hym and his heeris weren whijt, as whijt wolle, and as snow; and the iyen of hym as flawme of fier, and hise feet lijk to latoun, as in a brennynge chymney; and the vois of hym as the vois of many watris.

And with modern spelling:

And in the middle of the seven golden candlesticks one like to the Son of man, clothed with a long garment, and girded at the teats with a golden girdle. And the head of him and his hairs were white, as white wool, and as snow; and the eyes of him as flame of fire, and his feet like to latten, as in a burning chimney; and the voice of him as the voice of many waters. Revelation 1:13-15, Wycliffe Bible, 1382

Nothing we can paint, describe or imagine can do Him justice. Yet, one day, we shall see Him!