San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico / March 2013 –

It was Semana Santa, (Holy Week) in San Miguel and my first time to observe an incredible religious tradition. In Mexico they do so many re-enactments of the crucifixion of Christ but almost nowhere is it recognized with such reverence, tradition and awe, than in San Miguel. People come from all over Mexico, and indeed the world, to observe these highly emotional ceremonies and observances of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

Many of these rituals go back centuries but despite the crowds and influx of people, this isn’t a tourist show. Holy Week ceremonies are deeply felt statements of faith and worship. A lot of the lead up begins with a massive pilgrimage of followers who walk from a distant town and travel all night along a special route to the center of town. The procession includes Christ carrying his cross, Roman soldiers, the Virgin Mary and on it goes. And with this particular procession, it ended in the Jardin, at the Parroquia de San Miguel.

People start lining up early to get their spots, much like a parade, so I positioned myself at the far end of the Jardin facing the Parroquia. I captured this image at an opportune moment in time. This figure of Christ on the cross was held up quite high and seconds before it got into this position, I realized that I could juxtapose Christ with the Parroquia in the background. My first thought was to have the Parroquia blurred in the background but suddenly I changed my mind to do the un-obvious and this is what I got. It was a pivotal and deliberate decision.

After downloading it, I felt better about my choice. Why? I not only like the focus reversal but the dominance the Parroquia’s steeple has created. The idea that the brutal death of Christ on a cross became the symbol to adorn the tops of churches is odd to me. I know its to remind us that he apparently died for our sins, but its still a brutal symbol of the Roman’s sick brutality. The angle of both subjects is deliberate, as is their closeness but what I didn’t plan on, is that Christ is seemingly looking down on his house of worship and how its being run. Maybe in disapproval? There may be a kind of irony there.

So much of what I see and hear on TV, radio and in the news, etc. is about power, greed and control and so much of the violence, wars, and terrorism appears to be done in the name of religion. This is a sad statement. It’s as if religion has become the ‘politics’ of worship and that some religions have lost their focus. After seeing the Academy Awards Best Picture – “Spotlight”, I shake my head at the misdirected agendas of people in power especially when they become overly influential and gain stature as ‘religious leaders’. These thoughts were not on my mind when I took the photo but they arise because of the symbolism in the photo.

Regardless of my concerns, I still respect and like to celebrate the joy, faith and conviction of others.