“Cristo Redentor” and a Message of Love

   “So have you been watching the Olympics?” It’s a question everyone is asking these days! Al kids me that once every four years I get glued to the TV set! Somehow the Olympic Games mesmerize me. There are so many great events and interesting side stories that two whole weeks could easily be consumed sitting in front of the television screen.

   Besides the actual competitions and stories of individual athletes, the photography of the beautiful Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro with its harbor, beaches and surrounding mountains has been impressive. Nearly every televised segment starts out with close up aerial views of Cristo Redentor, the huge statue of Christ standing on the top of Mt. Corcovado.

   In the light of the dawn, Cristo Redentor appears, facing the ocean with its arms stretched out as if welcoming people from all corners of the world. During the day, it can be seen faintly through the haze, still looking down on the inhabitants of the city, some of whom are engrossed in the excitement of the Olympic games, others working their normal jobs or busy with everyday routines and still others doing whatever necessary in order to survive—most unaware of its quiet presence. At night the statue stands illuminated against the backdrop of the city lights below, seeming to protect the people of Rio from harm and interceding for them with upraised arms.

    Standing nearly 100 feet tall, the statue called Cristo Redentor, which is Portuguese for “Christ the Redeemer,” took about nine years to build, starting in 1922. It was funded mostly through donations of Brazilian Catholics who wanted to have a symbol of peace for their country. Two engineers, one French and the other a Brazilian, teamed up with the Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski to create the statue, which is now considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

    Why was the name “Christ the Redeemer” chosen? To me, the statue of Jesus standing with open arms symbolizes God’s amazing love for all people.  It represents His sacrifice of giving His life in order to redeem us from our sins. And Cristo Redentor also represents His welcoming us into a personal relationship with God. Peace with our loving and merciful Heavenly Father results in the transformation of individuals’ lives, peace with one another and peace in the world.  

    Not long ago there was a wonderful picture on the news and internet of a little boy sitting in his father’s lap. They were grinning and showing their matching heads…bald with identical scars along one side just above the ear! The eight-year old boy, Gabriel Marshall, was healing from a recent brain surgery to remove a malignant tumor. When Gabriel told his father, Josh Marshall, that he felt like people were staring at him and that he must look like a monster, Josh decided he needed to do something to show his little boy how much he loved him; so, he had his head shaved and the same S-shaped scar tattooed above his ear.

   “Now if they stare at you, they will have to stare at me too,” Josh said reassuringly.

   The message got through loud and clear to Gabriel.  On the evening news broadcast that covered this story, Gabriel said, “My dad must really love me,” smiling wide. Just as Josh demonstrated his love for Gabriel by those simple actions, so God has demonstrated His love to us through Cristo Redentor, Christ our Redeemer.

   Dear Father, Thank you showing us the depth of the love you have for each of us. Even with all of the words written about it, somehow the greatness of your love just doesn’t sink in. Please help us to get the message. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 NIV