Atlas' Burden of Sins

The Atlas sculpture stands tall in the Middle of Manhattan. Located in Rockefeller Center, it is frequently overlooked by passersby who are more concerned with St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Christmas tree during the holiday season, or just getting to work on time. However, after a day spent really seeing New Yorkers interactions with such a piece of artwork, suddenly the sculpture is more than a bronze, art deco design that may blend in with the buildings behind it.

Through a theological lens, the sculpture has many layers of depth to it. The first noticeable characteristic is the pose of the statue. Atlas is struggling to carry what can be identified as his sins. He is weighed down by them, as he bends forward to handle all of his wrongings. As Atlas bends at the knee he is face to face with St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

This specific location choice was no coincidence. Atlas kneeling toward the church is a symbol of the desire for the forgiveness of sin through God and the church. Through his pose, it can be recognized of his guilt and his need for to be freed from moral sin. The statue in the real world had an interesting response from passersby. There were very few people who stopped to acknowledge the statue or even glance in its direction. However, the people who did notice it, had very long and extended glances that seem to spark a thought-provoking reaction. Whether it was the size of the sculpture or the meaning, it was obvious this statue meant something to people and encouraged them to dig deeper into not only the true meaning of the sculpture (because is there really a TRUE meaning? Or is the meaning whatever is your internal truth?), but what it made them feel. This also allowed me to think deeper into the statue and its relation to the American Religious texts course.

In Jarena Lee’s  A Female Preacher Among African Methodists, Jarena Lee discusses her overwhelming desire for salvation. “At this discovery I said, Lord I forgive every creature. That instant it appeared to me as if a garment, which had entirely enveloped my whole person, even to my fingers’ ends, split at the crown of my head, and was stripped away from me, passing like a shadow from my sight; when the glory of God seemed to cover me in its stead”. She is paralyzed by her sins and constantly wishes herself dead, due to the guilt and sorrow she feels from her malice. Although St. Patrick's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church, the idea of Atlas’ symbol of the desire for reconciliation is similar to Lee’s experience with Rev. Richard Allen, the Bishop of the African Episcopal Methodists in America and her ability to free herself from these burdens of sin. Although they are two different religions, they relate to the idea of the burdening of sins.

One may choose to follow a certain belief system, but a symbol of burden and suffering may affect any person. It is also interesting to acknowledge that the sculpture is the first thing one sees when leaving the church. It seems to serve as a reminder of sins and wrongs, and the idea that sins are inevitable, but it is important to continue to relieve this sins through God and the church.