There is an interesting history to the familiar Jesus image

Jesus images in contemporary Christian art usually make me cringe for their excessive, almost clip art like use.

However, their popularity simply cannot be denied. His face is recognizable no matter which part of the world you hail from. I recognize that by utilizing that familiarity, ideas and concepts can be communicated, which would otherwise be impossible.

There is an interesting history to the familiar Jesus image. The much-venerated Shroud of Turin carried an imprint of His face. It is dated to around 30AD, (a dating that is disputed by some). It bears all the markings consistent with what could perhaps be the shroud that wrapped the crucified body of Jesus. It has been exhaustively examined and tested. Somehow it maintains its mystery. I am not declaring or denying its authenticity.

This early impression on the shroud, does indeed indicate someone with a face that is similar to today’s familiar bearded Jesus image.

I maintain that terrific Christian art can be created without the repeated use of the Christian Painting. However, Lance's story moved me to include his work here. This artist effectively uses the familiarity of the Jesus image to engage others in what amounts to a form of worship combined with performance art.

Performance art is defined by Wikipedia as a term "usually reserved to refer to a more conceptual art, which conveys a content-based meaning in a more drama-related sense, rather than being simple performance for its own sake for entertainment purposes."

Contemporary expressions of performance art range from wildly bizarre to overwhelmingly disgusting. This is neither. Lance Brown's work is refreshingly sincere worship. It is also effective, judging from the fact that he has been repeatedly booked by churches and youth camps for their worship services.