2 Cor: 4, 6 (NABRE)
2 Cor 4:4,6 (NABRE) “…the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…..For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.”
"Wonder" A soul in darkness lies a vast abyss all around, a gentle wind, the only sound. A moan is heard, a little one cries. The dark is pierced with radiant light, O God, restore this poor souls sight! Awake O sleeper, arise from the dead, Christ will fill you with light! O soul, in darkness waiting...receive your sight! Create in me O God, as the promise has said, a new Heaven and a new Earth, fill your creation with wondrous new birth! You heard me my Lord, you heard my hearts prayer! Like the dawn my wonder of thee arises anew, faith, hope, and love again bloom there, I am made new.
This painting was done while I was living at the monastery in Missouri. I had been contemplating an image of a face seeing God and what that emotion and experience must look like. The image took shape over time as I collected reference photos and it presented me with many challenges.
The poem came about as a way to explain the symbolism in the painting in an artful way. I’m not a poet by any means, but I thought it was a decent attempt. The image itself is abstract, it is meant to be a glimpse of a persons soul and their current, shifting staten from darkness into light, from unbelief into faith. I chose a child because in the face of God, we are all children, and we are called to love and trust God as children love and trust their own parents. We are called not act like children, but to have faith like them. And, children typically are more capable of open wonderment than adults seem to be. Adults are often more likely to be cynics than they are to be open to curiosity, excitement, love, wonder…That is of course a generalized statement, and there are always exceptions. But surely anyone reading this can observe the great curiosity and wonder with which little children view the world, vs how we ourselves who are older tend to view it?
The soul is sitting in darkness because until now, they had not known God who is light. They are surrounded by water which in scripture is often presented as chaotic, something needing to be endured, escaped, tamed. But, also something by which we enter into new life through our physical birth, and our spiritual rebirth/baptism. It is both life taking, and life giving. The soul is seated upon several lily pads, they support the soul, keeping it above the waters, giving it a foundation of sorts. The lilies, of which there are three, are blooming, they represent some of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the three theological virtues, faith, hope, and love. The light is the object of the souls attention, the soul turns toward it and reaches out, that expression on their face reflects the joy of the heart when one experiences God. I leave the identity of the light up to you, is it God Himself? Or is it somone who brought you to faith, and showed you the light? Finally, the light at the horizon is the birth of this souls faith, a new day is coming and this soul will soon be filled with a new light and life it has thus far never experienced.
Do you believe? If so, what was your coming to faith like? Have you always believed? If so, then what has your experience of God been like? Has there been moments in your life when you were taken aback in wonder of God? His capacity for forgiveness, His goodness, His love, His creation…? When was the last time you allowed yourself to view the world and God Himself with curious, joyful wonder?
Lectio Art 