Hey, it's not a dirty word

Last week Mrs. Barth Professor, who co-leads Adult Sunday School with me, told me about the controversial art that was on display at Garrett.  She said some of them are unmistakably depictions of vaginas.  "Why are vaginas on the wall at Garrett okay, but not crosses in the classroom?" she asked.  Apparently - I don't know whether this is true - the administration was going to put a small cross in each classroom, but didn't because it would offend some. 

Anyway, during our class break last night, three of us went to another part of the building to get coffee and tea.  We walked right by the art, and I stopped and exclaimed, "Are these the vaginas?"  One of the guys became very animated, and we walked around looking at all of them, commenting that yes, some do seem to resemble the female genitalia.  Not every painting or drawing is of that; some are people or other abstract things.  But one is titled "Total Package" and pictures the bottom half of a woman (clothed) with a smaller top half superimposed on her very large buttocks.  "What do you think of that?" he asked.  "I think that my 'total package' is not located in my bottom," I replied. 

So we walk back down the hall, and I realize that before we were standing right by a classroom, where the door was open and the class was indeed in session.  I whispered to my classmate, "Do you think that class heard me say, 'Are these the vaginas?'"  He laughed and said probably.  Great. 

But hey, it's not a dirty word.  Nor would I say any of the art is obscene, although the "Total Package" one was a bit much.  I suppose the issue is context.  In a seminary, should all the art glorify God?  Are these painting praising how wonderfully and fearfully made women are?  Or are they trying to make another kind of statement?  Now I guess we could get in a discussion about art and Christianity, but mainly I just wanted to state that yes, that was me exclaiming 'vagina' in the halls of Garrett last night.