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What comes to mind?

Grazer

Grazer

Member
My fiance and I looked at a picture and saw 2 very different things and had 2 very different reactions to it. This got me thinking so I'd like to try it here. I'm not looking for a debate, there are no right or wrong answers, all I'd like you to do is look at the picture then write down what immediately comes to mind;

What do you see, how does it make you feel, does it remind you of anything; anything that comes to mind when you first see it.

Then I'd like you to look at it for 2 minutes. Has anything changed, has your reaction changed, do you see anything different in it? You can pray about it during these 2 minutes, you don't have to. Write down if anything changed. You can be as poetic as you want :)

There is a point to this which I will detail later and I thank you in advance for your participation :)

Ok...picture can be found at http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/TDSS/experiment.jpg
 
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First glance, was a goth chick who was sad about something.
After about twenty seconds, noticed the wings and thought a fallen or cast out angel crying tears of blood over her loss (fall from grace)
Further thoughts are simply of an angel crying over the depravity and dismal state of mankind or that the one she was assigned to watch over still hasn't repented.
I say that because I don't believe an angel must be dressed in white to be an angel of God.
 
I saw the wings pretty well straight away but they seemed to become more and more prominent as I looked at it - ?
 
Yes, I saw the wings first and then what might have been tears running down her face. I felt compassion coming from her as she is crying for all of humanity that are in darkness as she is wearing black as in mourning for the lost.
 
My first thought was, an angel that has too much cleavage.
The angel was sad.
Than angel had a rosary bead.
She had a dot on her forehead that reminded me of Hinduism.
I thought the Bible never displays a female angel.
I noticed the dominant color black.
I ended the experiment before two minutes was up because the angel had too much cleavage.

- Davies
 
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it is like a fallen angel who try to find a solution of some problem, but the world of human(666) religion does not help anyone, and so many people in trouble/affliction need cope alone, it is a winter time in spiritual regard, and a human may turn out like a weak girl therein, everyone seeks happiness, but each of them may find it in a different direction, little or big, rich or poor, mighty or weak, many may turn out in trouble/affliction, especially the people who truly believe in the true God and Jesus, all we formerly were in the paradise of eternal life, but when the circle of (the) eternity ended, all souls were absorbed by the "darkness", and now many of them again need salvation unto everlasting life

Isaiah 14:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer(i.e. o soul), son of the morning(viz. you who undergo through a fall in the beginning of each eternity)! how art thou cut down to the ground(i.e. how were you come in the nonentity), which didst weaken the nations(viz. you who had the victory over all disagreements of the "darkness")!"

Blessings
 
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First, I saw a fashionable young lady with streaked hair and chunky jewelry.

Then I saw a fashionable young lady with streaked hair and chunky jewelry.

:)
 
Davies said:
My first thought was, an angel that has too much cleavage.
The angel was sad.
Than angel had a rosary bead.
She had a dot on her forehead that reminded me of Hinduism.
I thought the Bible never displays a female angel.
I noticed the dominant color black.
I ended the experiment before two minutes was up because the angel had too much cleavage.

- Davies
Click to expand...

Davies:

You're well entitled to your observation as to why you quit. (Though I think you'll find that there are plenty of women in church who would not be too dissimilar in respect of what you refer to ... )

Blessings.
 
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for_his_glory said:
Yes, I saw the wings first and then what might have been tears running down her face. I felt compassion coming from her as she is crying for all of humanity that are in darkness as she is wearing black as in mourning for the lost.
Click to expand...

for his glory:

A nice thought, yes; I went back and looked more closely and you're right, her mascara has run from some tears.
 
farouk said:
Davies:

You're well entitled to your observation as to why you quit. (Though I think you'll find that there are plenty of women in church who would not be too dissimilar in respect of what you refer to ... )

Blessings.
Click to expand...

farouk,

If I understood what you were saying then the women, who wouldn't be too dissimilar in the respect of not dressing modestly, become a stumbling block to many. They don't understand, that because of the sin nature, men can be dogs. It's called adultery of the heart. Though it's a sin for a man to have wondering eyes, it's wrong for a woman to be showing what belongs only to her husband. Maybe this is what the angel is crying over. It's all about my interpretation, right? A better question to ask is what is the author's interpretation.

Grazer,

Was there anything published by the author in explaining what he or she was trying to communicate in the picture?

- Davies
 
Davies said:
farouk,

If I understood what you were saying then the women, who wouldn't be too dissimilar in the respect of not dressing modestly, become a stumbling block to many. They don't understand, that because of the sin nature, men can be dogs. It's called adultery of the heart. Though it's a sin for a man to have wondering eyes, it's wrong for a woman to be showing what belongs only to her husband. Maybe this is what the angel is crying over. It's all about my interpretation, right? A better question to ask is what is the author's interpretation.

Grazer,

Was there anything published by the author in explaining what he or she was trying to communicate in the picture?

- Davies
Click to expand...

Davies:

I agree with you in theory about avoiding even the heart adultery, yes, 100%.

I do think you'll find that in various cultures and climates there are many Godly women in churches who, in the overall scheme of things, would be regarded as quite modest, but who have necklines which, depending on the angle, are sometimes susceptible to profiles of slightly variable geometry. So it's incumbent also on us men not to get too hung up, I guess.
 
Thank you so much for your comments everyone. Some really insightful and thoughtful stuff here, keep it coming. I'm going to let this run for another day or so before putting my thoughts but a little extra information on the picture.

It's the work of Victoria Frances, a Spanish illustrator/artist. She cites her inspirations as gothic Romanticism and pre-Raphaelite paintings as well as by the works of Luis Royo and Gerald Brom. This particular painting is called "Lamenting Angel" and whilst I don't know the story behind it, its certainly in keeping with the style of her other works.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2
 
farouk said:
Davies:

I agree with you in theory about avoiding even the heart adultery, yes, 100%.

I do think you'll find that in various cultures and climates there are many Godly women in churches who, in the overall scheme of things, would be regarded as quite modest, but who have necklines which, depending on the angle, are sometimes susceptible to profiles of slightly variable geometry. So it's incumbent also on us men not to get too hung up, I guess.
Click to expand...

farouk,

Tell that to a red blooded teenager.

After Grazer provided Victoria Frances as the illustrator, and looking at her most recent work, I highly recommend staying the eyes. You can say she's talented, but she's not using her talents for the glory of God. If you go searching her work, remember I warned you. Hey farouk, do you think I shouldn't get hung up over Frances' other work? I was hoping for something edifying, but... oh well.

- Davies
 
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First glance: an angel of some sort?

Second glance: I notice the cross necklace. At the bottom it looks almost like she is fading away or something; considering the sad expression, perhaps this is someone suffering from depression and they are beginning to give up on life. I consider that the wings may not necessarily mean she's an angel.
 
Davies said:
farouk,

Tell that to a red blooded teenager.

After Grazer provided Victoria Frances as the illustrator, and looking at her most recent work, I highly recommend staying the eyes. You can say she's talented, but she's not using her talents for the glory of God. If you go searching her work, remember I warned you. Hey farouk, do you think I shouldn't get hung up over Frances' other work? I was hoping for something edifying, but... oh well.

- Davies
Click to expand...

Davies:

I've never heard of her; and I haven't looked for her other work, either, that I recall.

To some considerable extent I agree with you, in what you say.

What I would also say is that one can't expect to project the perceived culture of a certain type of North American church onto Christians of other cultures and climates, when it comes to matters such as necklines. You know, in Europe, where cities do tend to be less dangerous, comparatively, than big cities in North America, the custom of toplessness (which I am not defending) is widespread on beaches. In Ontario, even, it has been ruled in court that women have a right to be topless (I don't defend this either).

On the other hand, I do find it hard to be expected to say in absolute terms that only certain sorts of necklines are 'appropriate' in all cultures and climates. I guess I would say, it's good to be sensible; but not to get too hung up about the issue.

Blessings.
 
Davies said:
What do you mean by not getting "too hung up" on the issue?

- Davies
Click to expand...

I think they mean there are far more important things in this world to worry and get annoyed at than how much cleavage is showing

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2
 
Grazer and farouk,

This is what Faithful said of Shame.

Faithful. "What! Why he objected against religion itself; he said it was a pitiful, low, sneaking business for a man to mind religion; he said that a tender conscience was an unmanly thing, and that for man to watch over his words and ways, so as to tie up himself from that hectoring liberty that the brave spirits of the times accustom themselves unto, would make him the ridicule of the times. He objected also that but few of the mighty, rich, or wise were ever of my opinion; nor any of them neither before thy were persuaded to be fools and to be of a voluntary fondness to venture the loss of all, for nobody else knows what. - John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress.

I personally think telling someone not to get hung up over what would stumble a weaker brother is shameful and without love. Those who struggle and have struggled in the past over pornography, as some of Victoria Frances' art is, know what I'm talking about.

- Davies
 
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