From "Love Life: Life- Brother, Give Us A Word" by
The Society of Saint John the Evangelist
"There is a wonderful sculpture of the raising of Lazarus. I believe it’s in the Chapel of New College in Oxford by Jacob Epstein. What I love about it is that there is Lazarus coming out of the tomb but only half of him is coming out and the other half is still in the tomb and you get this sense that he’s not sure that he wants to come out because there’s something comfortable about the familiar even if you’re half dead. "
"And I think that Jesus is calling us to new life and we have to say yes even though new life often can be rather fearful because it’s unknown. But I don’t believe that Jesus will ever leave us in a place where we are not fully alive. I think he’s constantly calling us everyday to become more alive because the more we become, the more I become the Geoffrey that God created me to be, the more I glorify God. "
"And I would say the gospel of John another wonderful theme is the theme of glory that where Jesus is there the glory of God shines forth. And that we are meant to shine forth with that same glory as well by becoming fully alive in Christ.
Jacob Epstein made his name as a sculptor of monuments and portraits, and as an occasional painter and illustrator. In his lifetime he championed many of the concepts central to modernist sculpture, including ‘truth to material’, direct carving, and inspiration from so-called primitive art, all of which became central to twentieth-century practice.
Epstein (1880-1959) was son of a Polish Jewish family in NY who moved to Europe in 1902 and became a Briitish citizen (and was later knighted) to study at European art schools
In a reflection by Father Steve Rossey he writes "The figure stands erect and stiff having just been called from the tomb. The head is twisted halfway around so that the chin touches the shoulder. The wrists are bound tightly to the thighs. But the arms and elbows project away from the body.
"Upon closer examination one can see that the hands are bound on the backside of the figure. The head, being twisted in the position it is, could be facing forward if viewed from what could be the back; or could be facing backward, if viewed from what could be the front. It is difficult to tell which way the figure is facing."
Matthew Fox, in his book, “A Spirituality Named Compassion,” provides a bit of insight into ancient tombs. Today’s Gospel records that Lazarus’ tomb was carved out of a cave. (Later John will tell us the same of Jesus’ tomb). Fox says that a cave tomb was basically rounded or circular in shape. He emphasizes that this is not a closed circle…but rather an open one…one that is capable of being entered into and exited from.
"Fox believes that because it is an open circle and because someone was actually called forth from it that it is a tomb in motion…a circle in motion…a spiral. As a spiral, then, it is clearly distinguished from a repetitive cyclical view of the universe. His point being that Jewish and Christian revelation holds that human history, while being spiral, also has a direction.
"The spiral represents a true revolution …for it is a turning around, a turning from …and a turning toward. It is birth… metanoia (conversion)…death…rebirth…resurrection.
"Fox also states that it is also interesting to note that DNA, the nucleic acid that is the basic ingredient to all life, is understood to be two ribbons in spiral motion. This double spiral becomes the basic symbol of all organic living.
"How appropriate,” says Fox, “that all spiritual living should possess the identical symbol …since the Creator of physical life is identical to the Creator of spiritual life.”
"I believe the spiraling shroud around Epstein’s sculpture of Lazarus gives visual form to this symbolism."