Christianity
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Christianity originated in the ministry of Jesus. During His lifetime, Jesus preached the gospel, meaning good news that God was coming to earth to be among His people in a special way. Jesus called this special way the Kingdom of God. He warned his listeners to repent their sinful ways to be ready for the approaching Kingdom of God.
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In urging repentance, Jesus gave his own interpretation of Jewish law to show how people could obey God and achieve righteousness. Jesus' popularity caused opposition from Jewish and Roman officials. The Romans charged Jesus with treason for calling himself King of Jews and they crucified him as a criminal. Through his sacrificial death, he provided forgiveness for sins and restored the relationship between God and man. Christianity is the reconciliation between God (the creator) and mankind (the creation), through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (the God-man). Jesus had chosen 12 men, known as the apostles, to preach the gospel after His death.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, which is a section in the Bible of the Old Testament, Solomon sought ultimate joy. He wanted to be the wisest man in the world but found his success in being wise was vanity … it did not bring him any joy. Then he tried satisfying his flesh with hundreds of concubines but found it too was vanity. At the end he sought material wealth and had everything you could imagine. He was the wealthiest man in the world but he still felt empty.
In this sculpture each path in the maze leads to a dead end, which reflects Solomon's struggles with his search for joy. The praying hands represent his discovery that the only way he could attain true joy and fulfillment was in his relationship with God through prayer.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, which is a section in the Bible of the Old Testament, Solomon sought ultimate joy. He wanted to be the wisest man in the world but found his success in being wise was vanity … it did not bring him any joy. Then he tried satisfying his flesh with hundreds of concubines but found it too was vanity. At the end he sought material wealth and had everything you could imagine. He was the wealthiest man in the world but he still felt empty.
In this sculpture each path in the maze leads to a dead end, which reflects Solomon's struggles with his search for joy. The praying hands represent his discovery that the only way he could attain true joy and fulfillment was in his relationship with God through prayer.
