I visited the Midwest
Museum of American Art located
on Main Street in Elkhart, Indiana. There were a lot of interesting and
beautiful pieces of art at the museum which made it very hard for me to pick
one for this assignment. One piece of art that caught my attention was a painting
titled the “Golden Rule” by Norman Rockwell. This piece was a gift from Dr. Richard D.
Burns from Elkhart, Indiana to the museum.
The “Golden
Rule” is part of an extensive collection of hand signed lithographs and collotypes
that can be found on the museum’s second floor where there is a gallery
dedicated completely to this famous American artist. This piece of art is one
of two paintings hanging on a single wall and it is displayed on a corner by
one of the entrances to the room. The gallery
is of a large size and there is nothing in the middle of the room. All the paintings
are hanging on the walls around the room and there are reflectors hanging from
the ceiling providing additional light to each painting.
In regards
to this painting, a United
Nations website states that, “Rockwell wanted to illustrate how the Golden
Rule was a common theme of all the major religions of the world, and depicted
people of every race, creed and color with dignity and respect.” This is
exactly what I perceived when I looked at this picture. Living in this day and
time and knowing how diversity, in all its aspects, always creates big debates
in our society, this picture gave me the sense that there are many that have
and still are, fighting to create acceptance and equality in the world.
POEM
“Do Unto
Others
As You Would
Have Them
Do Unto You.”
Why would I
do for others
What I want them
to do for me?
Why would others
want
What I want
for myself?
I don’t need
what others have,
I want what
I need.
I am unique,
With different
thoughts
Different
feelings,
Different
looks.
God made me
this way,
Special,
Diverse,
One-off a kind,
Exceptional.
Don’t do unto me
What you
want me
To do unto you.
Give me what
I need:
Respect who I am,
Accept what I am,
Tolerate how
I am
Understand what
I am not,
Give me the freedom to just be me!
What a great poem! I think you just rewrote "the golden rule!" Actually I heard a quote once that said "do unto others as they would have you do unto them," which is kind of what you are saying. In order to do that, "they" would have to get to know you rather than just assuming you would want to be treated the way they would want to be treated. Wow. Food for thought.
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ReplyDeleteRocio, your poem is well articulated! I notice that most of the lines are in the imperative. However, I think that the first and last lines are very powerful and we should be careful with them:
ReplyDelete1- “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You.”
Rocio, I think that you understood this biblical verse out of context. Luke 6 is the right context in which Jesus said it:
[27“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.29“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.30“Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.31“TREAT OTHERS THE SAME WAY YOU WANT THEM TO TREAT YOU.32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.33“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.34“If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.35“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.36“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.38“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”]
I think that God did not want Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good, evil and death because of the Golden rule. God wanted to do to Adam the very thing He wanted for Himself because He made Adam in his own image.
Now, your poem made me think in a spiritual and philosophical way: Should I give death to a person who is so desperate that he/she wants to die? Should I buy a real gun for my child because he/she desperately wants one? Should I give you what you want even though I know that such thing would destroy myself? I believe that we always reap what we grow: if you grow love, you reap love, if you grow hatred, you reap hatred, if you bless God, God will bless you. I think that that is why Jesus Christ said, "Love your Enemy", “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You.” In Genesis 12:3 God said, "I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse." This is to say that whatever we do boomerangs on ourselves.
2- Give me the freedom to just be me!
Who am I and how do I become Me? The bible says that I am the image of GOD, so maybe it would make sense to say, "give me the freedom to become the image of GOD. In order to be able to know what the image of GOD looks like, we might want to read the Bible and study Jesus Christ.
Peace and Love Rocio!
Adama,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you comment. It is very thoughtful.
I just want to clarify that in my poem, I was not relating to the actual biblical verse. Even though it is in the bible, I refer to: “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You” as a phrase written on the painting. In my poem, I tried to express how this painting made me feel as I looked at it. My intention was not explain or discuss my definition of the biblical verse. I apologize for any misunderstanding!
Rocio, clearly you have provided some food for thought here through your response to Norman Rockwell's painting! Your description of the painting offers a description of Rockwell's vision that this idea of treating others as you would like to be treated is a universal teaching across religious boundaries. Your poem seems to be the "other side" of the conversation. If we treat others as we would like to be treated, are we really understanding who they are, what they need, and what they want? This can even be challenging in a family, where you think you know people rather well. A very interesting way to use this assignment to create a dialogue.
ReplyDelete