At the Quai Branly Museum

"The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God in the midst of the trees of the garden." Genesis 3. 8

In Paris, on Quai Branly, there has been a museum since 2006 dedicated to non-Western arts and civilizations from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. It is one of the world's most popular museums in its category and hosts high quality art premier collections, showcased by a successful museum and complemented by temporary exhibitions on various topics.

Every time I go there, I am struck by the omnipresence of three themes, just as marked in the four departments corresponding to the four continents :

- The first is the abundance of masks that hide the face, of any size, any material, any type : from the Pacific Islands to the depths of Africa, the man is wearing a mask, especially in society on special occasions.

- The second theme is death : many objects and rituals are linked to death and the hereafter ; everywhere, the human being seeks to prepare his passage into the hereafter, to accompany his family to the unknown that follows death.

- The third is the invisible world : shamans, wizards, initiates, dressed in special outfits and magical objects, are there to connect humans with the occult world, to ward off evil spells cast by evil spirits and call the blessing of the tribe-friendly spirits.

These themes remind me of Genesis 3 where we find all three. The invisible world, through the snake, tempts the first couple (Gen. 3: 1). Ashamed, Adam and Eve are hiding (Genesis 3: 8). Finally, the announced death penalty is confirmed (Gen. 3. 19). All of humanity since then has been marked by these three founding elements of the fall. No wonder that they are very visible in a museum of primitive arts, while the varnish of Western civilization and the influence of its Judeo-Christian roots conceal them.

But the needs of men remain the same everywhere : to recognize his fear of death (Heb 2:15), to accept to fall from the mask to confess sinfulness (1 John 1. 9) and to pass from the power of darkness to the kingdom of love of God (Col 1:13). It is this universal message that Christians have the privilege of proclaiming.

Source (To please the Lord)