Echo Hub

Sexy!

More than the headphones, It bothers that he doesn’t look like a Palestinian man. On the headphones though…Jesus was all about relationships, not hangin’ in his own little world ignoring the world with the earphones on.

I dig it. I’m not offended (but then I agree with Tim). I’m glad you were willing to show it and talk about it. I look forward to the alternate cover choice.

This design is amazing! I love the colors. I’m not sure if I’m offended, but then again I’ve seen classic icons used and re-used so many times that I might be desensitized.

I think it’s easy for a lot of Christians to pick things like this a part. I don’t really think you were trying to make a theological statement by the cover, but more just making a statement that Jesus was integrated into His culture. If He had come during this day and age, maybe he would have put the earphones on to meditate…maybe He’s listening to Charlton Heston’s audio bible.

Is there a difference between the church engaging culture and the church trying to make a culturally relevant statement? This, to me, smacks of “look Jesus is hip.” Maybe Jesus wasn’t hip. I’m all about engaging culture, but this is a bit self serving.
I heard someone say recently, we should look like the culture, but live differently – unfortunately, we often live like the world, but look differently.

not offended at all. ver similar to our ipod angel from a series a few months ago:
http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/images/series/ancient_434.jpg

julieH already articulated my exact thoughts!

you guys should have used it! i mean, i understand your decision-making deal, but the reality is the people who read your mag and this blog wouldn’t be offended by that. sure, you want to reach people who may not “get it” or understand the value of what you are trying to say… but i think it would have captured attention and caused people to read.

either way, amazing artwork!

HEATHEN!!!!

Oh, wait, I like that cover and in no way am I offended by it. Disregard my first line.

LOVE Tim’s new book…and love it that you guys went with a new front cover to promo it.

Love it.
I think a Caucasian Jesus is more offensive. Shouldn’t it be? Jesus wasn’t white was he? Or was he?
I agree with Tim, you should have used it. I think the world is more than ready for this, the Church, well that may be another story. They kind of get caught up on stuff at times
Who says you’re in your own little world because you wear headphones? I think headphones represent music, music represents pop culture better than anything else. But that could just be my assumptions.

It looks great to me and I’d hope your “hip” audience wouldn’t be offended by headphones Jesus.

I don’t like it.

I think He should have sported the infamous white ear buds and some aviators.

It’s great. I’m not offended by it and doubt many of your readers would be as well. Of course, you have to consider future readers. So I understand the decision.

The Church today needs to lighten up! Advertising is about getting the audience’ attention. This cover – offensive or not – will do just that. Hopefully people would go beyond the mere image and read the heart of the article. I would like to believe that Jesus would be sporting an ipod if walking our streets today in human form. Does that mean he’s not GOD? That He is or isn’t more relative to todays culture? It’s a thought provoking cover. It’s bold and daring. But then again Jesus didn’t sing Rock of Ages in the synagogue and read scripture from the King James Version of the Bible either. So perhaps we need to think this through some more. The stories he used and the lessons he taught were extreme! in His culture. The big whigs of the church conspired to get rid of him because of His contemporary-ism. I’m not supporting seemingly “offensive” art just for the sake of offense – but maybe it’s time to look deeper. Why would this be offensive… or why wouldn’t it be? Hmmmmm Any comments?

I like it a lot, and don’t find it offensive. Good illustration provokes, and this one supports the question (“should the church engage pop culture?”) well.

I did a survey of depictions of Jesus in art – from the golden-haired Nordic Jesus to fully Soul-Glo’d Black Jesus. I like that we don’t have a photo of Him. Every culture looks through a different lens. Some emphasize power (Byzantine depictions); some suffering (Jamaican); some look a bit like he’s on Valium (European renderings). Actually, the chiaroscuro rendering here looks a bit Middle-Eastern, though I agree in general he would look less white.

@ Will: Yeah, buds are more “consumer”. This looks more like “DJ Jesus” or “Content creator Jesus”. I’m more offended by soporific, sanitized depictions of Jesus than anything (mostly western art).

DJ Jesus. I am so using that.

@Kym and others, the Church today needs to get back to the Bible regarding images of the Rock Star Jesus:
1 Cor 11:14
Exodus 20:4
Isaiah 53:2b

OK, really full muff headphones? Either Jesus is on a flight sporting his Bose noise cancellation gear or you need to actually move forward from 1985 and get some iPod ear buds. If you are going to be culturally relevant…

Not having read the article yet, it’s hard to give an educated opinion. It is interesting that the subject of the title is the Church (the Bride) but the subject of the artwork is Jesus (the Groom). In that sense, it seems like it doesn’t quite illustrate the point. If the article focuses on the bride’s attention to/involvement in pop culture, I think it was certainly the wrong cover. If the focus is more on how the church keeps trying to dress Jesus up like some chuck taylor-wearing, fad-following, emo-rocking pansy – then this cover was heading in the right direction

I like it! It would have been very appropriate.

not offended at all. love it. what do you think he’s listening to?

I’m still laughing over the image, not wanting to overspiritualize anything. On the other hand, I agree with Will…white earbuds much better than the Bose.

On the (almost) spiritual side, would Jesus be tuning out the culture around him? What’s playing on his ipod, anyway…angel music or some good Jewish jazz?

Is it meant to be Jesus…?!? Yeah, I get it, but Jesus was Jewish, and came from the Middle East, so didn’t look like that anyway! I think it represents the idea well. There would have been no problem using it. I am more offended by a giant billboard on the highway that has a verse in the KJV version about condenmation, which has been placed by a church 2000km away! Gee – thanks to them, great for the way we express Go

I like the image, but also agree its better you didnt use it.

I don’t think he’s listening to music… he might be putting finishing touches on intro video for his church or editing a sermon soon be put on his church website.

I agree with the others who are more offended at Jesus looking like a white guy than sporting headphones. Can we get some good designers on “there is no beauty that we should desire Him” from Isaiah?

I also have to agree with julieh, though, that I don’t think a pop culture Jesus would really walk around with headphones on. I get the connect, but it does kind of negate the relational thing. Maybe a boombox on the shoulder instead of headphones?

I’m quite sure he’s listening to DVNO by Justice!

I’m offended that Jesus dyed his beard pink. He’s more of a platinum blonde guy in my mind.

Not offensive at all; but he’s gotta have earbuds. I figure he’s grooving to a little Herbie Hancock.

Great cover, great discussion and excellent topic.

Love the cover.

While I get the objections of others that Jesus would not wear headphones because he was so relational, I do not agree. Jesus was very relational, but he didn’t spend all of his time with others. Maybe this is a PERFECT representation of how Jesus would spend some of his “alone time” in 21st Century.

I asked Scott to pull the picture since it didn’t look anything like me.

@ Tim – LoL.
–
Scott, I wasn’t offended but sometimes using caution is good. I love the classic headphones.

By the way, all of this reminds me of Sunday. I was sitting behind a gentleman who was listening to his music before the service began on his iPod. I leaned over and saw that he was listening to Korn.

@ Allan W…DJ Jesus!!!…somebody please do some art with Him behind a table cupping one ear and spinning vinyl!

But make Him look Pakistani or it’s no good.

Looks good to me–I think you should have used it (says the guy who works for a site with ‘sucks’ in the title).

I hear what you guys are saying about the lack of earbuds…but I think Jesus would be all about the fully uncompressed bass response that over-the-ears provide. I doubt he’d use iTunes either. Those songs sound awful on nice speakers/fones.

Not at ALL offended! The general masses — the “traditional church” advocates may have been offended — but then, they probably wouldn’t even take a look at progressive COLLIDE. Our own experiences in our “traditional New England Evangelical Congregational Church” with the media we now use regularly during our worship has been, likewise, mixed — from video clips that perfectly illustrate the message we hear both sides of the issue: the, “now I get it!” & “I CAN relate!” to “have we come to church just to see movies?” & “next, we’ll be offered popcorn as we come in the door!” [I must also interject… this isn’t a clear-cut generational thing — I, a member of the “baby-boomer” generation, am largely responsible for bringing most media to the services (locating clips, editing/formatting, projecting). We embrace technology as a means to reach our congregation & the “seekers” out there — I’m sure Christ would do the same!

Glad to see there’s lots of good discussion on this topic. However, I want to make a distinction. I think people DO get the point of this cover (haven’t read the mag yet). “Should the church engage/use/create pop culture?” is a great question, and this image is provocative enough to get me to read it.

The question, “would Jesus engage in pop culture, personally?” is a separate question. In spite of my affinity for “DJ Jesus” (great T-shirt!), I just don’t think Jesus would engage pop culture much.

Even as I make this stuff, I feel a real tug on me back in the direction of personal simplicity and silence. Jesus retreated to the wilderness to spend time with his Father, not meditate with music in his ears. His communion required silence, solitude, and concentration.

While I am immersed in and contribute to pop and visual culture every day, I don’t want to lose my grip on these holy disciplines. It’s a challenging dualism that I can’t resolve at the moment. This image brings that internal dialogue to the surface for me.

great artwork. it’s a chame it wasn’t used, but thanks for posting it regardless. helps create conversation and spurs on some ideas here in our creative arts ministry.

I Like it! Im not Offended by it. I believe Jesus would have used culture to show His power and Love to the world. Ever means possible. I like the design, but The headphones almost seem alittle outdated. I dont know Im just shooting it out there. It is definitely an eye catcher. I know if people saw it, most would be interested in reading it to see what it was about. Im sure most would read and see what Tim is talking about. I love what you guys do. Keep it up.

[...] on top of you, each roar shakes your apartment just a little. I like to imagine dear, sweet, baby Jesus is just rocking out with his subwoofer. This also gives me precedent to justify my sub at 2am to my [...]

Frickin awesome. I have to make decisions like this on a weekly basis. Most of the time the graphics I design for our Sunday services don’t raise too many eyebrows but once in a while I like to push the envelope. Compared to some things I’ve had to not do, I think your cover is pretty tame and works great for the title. Here is one that got axed for me:

oops I guess html is not allowed. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/2315368080_495bf2bce2_m.jpg

subtly captures the irony of a church who will be simultaneously offended by this and yet do this very thing – much imagery there to consider from cultural relevance to technology’s inherent isolationism to the cultural non-conformist who becomes an icon of the very culture he “detests” – I think the image of Jesus is striking and shock-value is good; but it is misleading because the question is about the church and, unfortunately, I’m not sure our world can equate the two

[...] to everyone who participated in the discussion following my “The Cover We Didn’t Use” post, which featured an iconic image of Christ plus some headphones to convey an idea from Tim [...]