'But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.'
Jeremiah 7:8
Jeremiah is such a strong, classic and beautiful name. Even new parents who many not be that religious, have looked to the old testament for inspiration for baby names. We humans however cannot really be trusted with names and thus over the years, Jeremiah has morphed into less lyrical forms of the name, including Jeremy, Gerald and Gerard. In the bible, Jeremiah was a prophet, one of the last prophets God sent to Israel, just prior to the crumbling nations final days. I am not sure God would have sent a Gerard for such an important assignment...
Unfortunately, despite the strength of his name, Jeremiah didn't have much luck in getting anyone to listen. Maybe it was because he was still a teenager, but his warnings about the false Gods that had risen to power fell on deaf ears. Ultimately this led Jeremiah into frustration, isolation and loneliness. It was a important lesson to learn that even great prophets who seem so strong and put together can experience rejection, depression, and discouragement.
Michal Boothe's Jeremiah is not a teen, nor a prophet, but in the artist skilled hands, he does convey the qualities of a transcendent and immortal symbol of physical beauty. At 26, Jeremiah shared that he had only started working out two years ago. Michal says that Jeremiah had the most beautiful skin, pale, with tiny pin sized freckles all over his body.
I love the elegance and beauty in the poses Michal captured,. Strong, but a quiet and gentle strength, not one seemly rooted in pride or ego. I was also intrigued by Jeremiah's choice to look down, for the most part avoiding direct contact with the camera. Unlike the Jeremiah of the old testament, I think our modern day version has verses still to be experienced, and chapters still to be written.
