Posted on 07/28/2019 6:02:04 AM PDT by Kaslin
In an imaginary “ranking” of Christian topics that elicit the most fervent discussions, Jesus Christ is No. 1. But near the top is the Shroud of Turin — believed by millions of Christians to be the authentic burial cloth of Jesus. This “ranking” was inspired by you — Townhall readers who wrote over 500 impassioned comments in response to my July 21 piece, “Shroud of Turin: New Test Concludes 1988 ‘Medieval Hoax’ Dating Was a Fraud.”
I purposely read all your comments to gain insight into my role as an adviser and fundraiser for a groundbreaking exhibition about the Shroud of Turin at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. This spectacular museum, among the largest and highest rated in the city, is located only three blocks from the Capitol. And just prior to the January 20, 2021, presidential inauguration is when this high-tech Shroud exhibit is scheduled to open.
Threaded throughout hundreds of your responses about all aspects of the Shroud was one overarching theme summarized by these three comments:
“Anyone who requires physical evidence to underpin their faith doesn’t understand the concept of faith.”
“JESUS CHRIST died for all. HE is what is important. Making such a fuss about this piece of cloth is a distraction from HIS work of SALVATION.”
“I respectfully submit that the only ‘relic’ which really matters is the one which was left us on that first Easter morning: The tomb is empty! He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!”
Of course, “He is Risen” is also the foundation of my Christian faith, (made slightly more complicated by having been born Jewish). But I feel compelled to discuss and explore the comment that reads in part, “…such a fuss about this piece of cloth...”
And my response is simple: The Shroud of Turin exists because HE exists. An answer that echoes what God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).
Thus, the existence of the Shroud of Turin raises two questions that I will attempt to address: First, what exactly is the Shroud? And second, a deeper dive into “Why does the cloth exist?”
The Shroud of Turin is a 14.5-by-3.5-foot linen cloth with a linear front to back mirror image of a crucified man. The Shroud has the distinction of being the most studied artifact in the world, yet the cloth’s numerous mysteries remained unexplained by modern science.
At this moment the Shroud lies in a fireproof box in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, as it has continuously since 1578. (But secretly relocated between 1939 and 1946 when Italian authorities feared Hitler was seeking possession.)
Dating the Shroud has been controversial and the subject of my July 21 piece.
Among Shroud historians, there is no dispute that in 1352, over 200 years before the Shroud was housed in Turin, Geoffrey DeCharney displayed the cloth in Lirey, France marking the beginning of the Shroud’s documented "modern" dating.
There is also much circumstantial Shroud evidence through art, artifacts, and coins that pre-dates 1352. Moreover, scientifically verified botanical evidence found on the cloth in the form of pollen, dust, flowers, and even the weave and type of linen traces the Shroud back to first-century Jerusalem.
The cloth with its mysterious properties has survived wars, invasions and the ravages of time including numerous fires — most recently in 1997 at its home cathedral in Turin.
Most harrowing was the 1532 fire in Chambéry, France. Miraculously the entire cloth was not destroyed but left those distinctive linear markings along both sides of the Shroud that we see today. Hard to imagine, but the linen cloth was stored in a silver box, folded in 48 layers, when drops of molten silver burned through the cloth’s outer folded edges.
The point is, against all the odds, the Shroud exists. And, as stated earlier, because He exists. There is also a significant Bible-based reason found in the Gospel of John known as “Doubting Thomas” (John 20:24-31).
But first, a “guest” who will explain this passage needs a proper introduction:
It turns out that the many Townhall readers who commented about not needing the Shroud’s “physical evidence to underpin their faith,” represent a large swath of Christian believers. I learned this when asking Russ Breault— my fellow Shroud exhibit team colleague, and a world-renowned Shroud expert and speaker — if he had experienced similar attitudes after over 30 years of hosting his popular “Shroud Encounters” to sell-out crowds.
Breault replied:
“I get that statement all the time! When someone says, ‘I don't need the Shroud for my faith,’ I usually say, ‘That is fantastic! But that doesn't mean the Shroud was not meant for someone else.’ ”
Breault continued: “In the Doubting Thomas story, Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who ‘believe yet have not seen,’ but Jesus did not condemn Thomas for his unbelief. In fact, a week after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared a second time, and the first person he spoke to was Thomas, who was not there to witness Jesus’ first appearance. Jesus then quotes Thomas' words back to him, ‘Thomas, thrust your hand into my side and place your fingers into my nail wounds and be not faithless but believe.’
At this point, Thomas — forever known as "Doubting Thomas" — makes the strongest profession of faith in the New Testament saying, "My Lord and my God." Then Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who can believe without seeing. So we are blessed if we can believe without seeing, but we are not cursed if we can't get there without some additional evidence.
Therefore, perhaps the Shroud is a silent witness to the world offering all of humanity the same opportunity Jesus gave to Thomas. In some proverbial sense by looking at the Shroud, we too can thrust our hand into His side and place our fingers into His nail wound and find our faith in the process.”
Thank you, Russ! And now my final thoughts for Townhall commenters.
If blessed with great faith, you are free to ignore or downplay the image on the Shroud showing Christ’s great suffering and victory over death. Yet, take comfort in knowing that the Shroud is there to supplement or reinforce the faith of others while potentially witnessing to the ever-increasing number of Doubting Thomases found throughout the world.
In the end, I believe that the Shroud exists as proof of God’s greatest gift to mankind —the Lord Jesus Christ — who lives and reigns forever and ever. Alleluia!
(Now, let the comments begin!)
*snerk*.
We’re talking past each other, most likely because you insist on forcing everything I say into a predetermined “Orange Man BAD!” type slot.
I didn’t say faith in Mary will save you.(*) I said that God distributes Grace using her as the vehicle.
Like when God impresses upon that saintly old widow two streets away to pray for you, even though you hadn’t mentioned anything to her about your problems.
Except that we have the word of an archangel that Mary is full of Grace.
(*) What if Mom is praying the Rosary for her children, and God answers the prayer? God’s Grace.
i am including the roman sect as far back as the reformation. The errors called out there still stand and were widespread prior to that. However you want to parse your sect currently is up to you but the sign on the door says Roman Catholic so until that changes you all own each other.
you keep changing your argument and words every time you are pinned in a corner. Your apostasy is plain for all to see.
ROFLMAO!!
Aren’t you making the very argument made by the Reformers?
Oh, and pretty sure your statement is a mortal sin per Roman Catholicism though not the NT.
Per Roman Catholic teaching you are now without benefit of salvation until you can get to a priest, confess and do penance. IF you were to die your eternal destiny is Hell.
IF I were you I’d high tail it to the priest.
i have visited my High Priest many times already today. He is my best friend and my all in all. I’m good thanks. In fact i’m better than good. I am a forgiven daughter of the King.
Not at all. I believe in the Papacy and the indefectibility of the Church. It is precisely for that reason it is impossible for a heretical sect like that which promotes Vatican II and its modernist errors to be the Catholic Church. That Protestants are schismatic and that the current cabal in Rome are heretics and apostates can be maintained at the same time.
By extension, to say that an obvious non-Catholic like Francis is a true Pope is equally absurd, but I’ll let him speak for himself. (http://francisquotes.com/)
Oh yes! My comment was directed to gw.
How does a lay ordinary Roman Catholic make this determination?
No, it shows the trolls love the passive aggressive, liberal-type “who, ME?” trolling.
There would not have been any Protestants without a Catholic Church.
It’s kind of odd to hear the branches intriguing against the trunk, holding forth as infallible something that Christianity never believed for the 1800 or 1900 years before before it sprang forth.
It’s OK! I love talking about my relationship woIth my Priest
You do know when the reformation was.....????? Right????
“I” “my” “my”.
John the Baptist had a better line. “I must decrease, but He must increase.”
The Reformation is not the same as the specious, bombastic ...fatuous attitude on this thread.
Like the dribble you’re spouting? Better get to that priest....and soon.
Troll fail.
Inveighing.
Autocorrect strikes again.
but seems a bit reluctant to post it in the open thread.
Perhaps we should pray that the Spirit of Timidity be cast from him(?)
In your calculus are there members of the Body of Christ who are not and never have been Roman Catholics or any Catholics?
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