9.27.2011

Between Them and God

Here is a question I received regarding my painting One Nation Under God.  

AMAZING! While I scrolled over every image (I thought), down front, I could see some of the personalities in me, some of which I was ashamed. I did not realize until I read your commentary, and Satan was in there. I had to go back to find him, I finally did, he is almost transparent. I realized, just as we have Jesus in us, we also have Satan, no matter how faint he is. I applaud you. This made me look at my character, and see me, more clearly. Though I am not proud of some of it...

Thank you!  I like it when people personalize the painting and they find additional meaning.  Your interpretation is exactly what I hope many will consider.

Why would you have Christ be the central figure to such self righteous indignation? 

To have Christ in the center so prominently holding the Constitution makes a powerful statement.  Some would like to interpret this to mean if you’re not a Christian—get out!  My view of Christianity in regards to this painting is this:  God loves all of us.  In the painting His face is sad and He looks off into the distance as if He can see our future.  The purpose of the painting is not to say only Christians belong here.  It is to say that the Constitution is what made our country great.

Why do you judge a whole group of people by the actions of a few? Do you actually believe that Christ would approve of the such a generalization of HIS children?  

I’m not sure why you assume I am judging anyone.  The people in the bottom right corner represent those that I believe are weakening our country by not supporting the principles of the Constitution.  These figures represent a symbol of a type of person.  If there is any kind of “sin” involved, that is between them and God.

2 comments:

  1. I must admit that I'm always surprised by people who make sweeping generalizations about the intentions of other people. The feeling I come away with when I look at the feeling is that the Constitution was inspired by God. The document was imperfect because men are imperfect, but all things are made complete in Christ. Neither the Constitution nor Christ were meant for the faceless crowd but for individuals, and I decide where I stand. I may look about me and see the choices of others, not to decide where they will spend eternity but to determine the whether or not I am staying true to my own beliefs. Sometimes it's difficult to view one's self because we are too close. Am I so busy I don't even realize that Christ is right there beside me? Am I clinging to my book learning rather than turning to Christ? Am I so worried about money that I don't see what Christ wants me to see? Am I more concerned about what the media declares is of import, than I am about the truth? Am I so focused on the rules that I've entirely lost the spirit that inspired those rules? Thanks so much for sharing your inspiration, for it inspires me.

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  2. I LOVE that you included a disabled child in the picture. I was born with a congenital heart defect and am doing my best to live a life of service to God for the blessing of Life, but to also showcase the immense potential of those of us that many would have mercifully dispatched so as not to show their own weakness' and lack of compassion.

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