One of my pet peeves that no one other than I seem to notice is: Why does Adam have a navel? Surely, Michaelangelo knew that the umbilical cord of a baby was connected to its mother to deliver life sustaining sustenance.

Perhaps Michaelangelo’s depiction of Adam’s navel was his way of questioning the Biblical tale of Creation. Perhaps suggesting that a man’s direct connection to humanity is equally as important as man’s direct communication with to God, even as Adam reaches out to touch the finger of God not for physical but for spiritual life.

While Pope Paul IV was focused on the medium, Michaelangelo was focused on the message.