The Harvest of Peace and Tumult

Landscape with Wheat Sheaves and Rising Sun, Vincent Van Gogh

 Luke 10:1-9

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

My wife is Irish Catholic and I’m Black Baptist: the comedic extreme versions of each group. Maybe we’ll raise our future kids in a Korean Seventh Day Adventist Church just to keep it interesting. In spite of our denominational differences we still visit each other’s church services. The other week I went to my wife’s church and heard an amazing sermon. One of our family friends, who is a newly ordained deacon, preached the sermon this very same verse in Luke. We had actually attended his ordination at Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. Now he was dressed in his Deacon's robe (with the diagonal sash that makes him look like he's the mayor) delivering a homily about the great call that he had just answered... to be a Harvest worker. He reminded us that just like the nameless 72 followers of Jesus in this verse, we too are called to go out into the world and spread the message of Christ’s kingdom and to offer his peace to the restless. Before the mass started he and I chatted about the sermon itself, sermon construction and the art of preaching in general. While he preached I thought about the fact that over two millennia there have been countless others that have been added to the 72. Whether they were preachers, missionaries, teachers or just nice old ladies on the bus: many have been sent out in to the world, feeling the call to spread the message of hope in Christ. Just like the 72 many succeeded and reaped the joy of the Lord as their reward, however, some did not. Some did not receive a captive audience. Some did not return home. Some did not receive the joy of the Lord in the end. Today I would like to share with you about one those from that last group. One who went out to spread the message of peace but never received God's peace himself. His name was Vincent Van Gogh.

There is no doubt that nearly all of you have heard of Vincent Van Gogh as an artist. Even people who know the least about art know about "that guy who cut his ear off." I have even less doubt that those of you that are familiar with Van Gogh's paintings probably list them as some of your favorite works of art. Van Gogh as an artist is the art equivalent of Tupac as a rapper, Wagner as a composer or Kobe Bryant as a basketball player: whether they're the best is debatable but if you don't like them its probably due to their personal flaws than their artistry. Van Gogh is a giant among painters for several reasons. His expressive colors and thick brushstrokes are the envy of any painter who desires to let loose and apply the paint several inches thick. His ability to deliver a character's psyche and personality in their portrait or even a painting of their shoes is the envy of any aspiring novelist. His fulfillment of the "troubled artist" archetype and failure at financial success during his earthly life are the envy of any self loathing, Emo musician. Even with this universal admiration of him I do wager that their are many of you that are unaware that for a time Van Gogh was a preacher and that a good portion of his works have scriptural themes and symbolism in them. 

Van Gogh picked up professional painting later in life. Before that he spent time as a Methodist minister in training and missionary to the poor. At this point in history Methodists held the title for their missionary and evangelistic efforts. The Methodists were not initially started as a separate denomination but rather as an Evangelical renewal movement within Anglicanism (which is the same as Episcopalian in the United States). It's founder, John Wesley, focused much of its spiritual discipline on personal holiness (the theological conversation that he started would eventually lead to the Holiness, Pentecostal and Charismatic movements as well). John Wesley's movement's success was due to his brother Charles Wesley's hymns and Methodist missionaries willingness to go anywhere to serve the underserved and church the unchurched. Their efforts amongst the poor laborers of Europe were especially noble. It was these efforts amongst the working poor that attracted Van Gogh.

The Sower, Vincent Van Gogh

Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.

To say that Van Gogh was interested in Harvest is an understatement. Van Gogh spent massive amounts of time and energy considering the harvest in thought and brushwork. Whether it was a depiction of the field itself, the labor in the field or the laborers, Van Gogh did the Harvest like Andy Warhol did Campbell's Soup, like Cosby did Coogi & HBCU sweaters, like Kenny G did elevator music. Vincent Van Gogh's love for the Harvest wasn't just a love for the aesthetic of a European farm landscape but it was also a love of the souls of the Harvest worker. These underserved, rural souls were the same ones that held Bible studies for. Van Gogh would also go on to minister to coal miners, but wheat harvesters held a special place in his artistic cosmos. Jesus also repeatedly used harvesting images in his greatest works of art: the parables. As Christ informed his closest followers on the need for ministry workers he used an analogy that workmen would understand: "The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few." The time for the spread of Jesus' message is now. It is ripe. Like a wheat plant that has grown from seed to stalk, salvation history has grown from the promise of Abraham to the arrival of the Messiah. This plant has developed its fruit and the fruit has ripened. The fruit of the wheat is the grain, ready to be made into bread and drink and enjoyed by the people. The fruit of God's Seed is the Gospel, the sacrifice of Christ, ready to be made into spiritual bread and drink and enjoyed by mankind. But a laborer is due his wages so it is only right that workmen of the Gospel may partake in the fruit of their labor: the Peace of God.   

Sheaves of Wheat in a Field, Vincent Van Gogh

But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.

Alas peace is something that Vincent Van Gogh could never find in this world. Like Jesus commanded he took next to nothing for his journey. When he preached to the poor he embraced poverty. He would willingly go without shoes during the winter while ministering to those who could not afford their own. Was this extreme? Yes. And it eventually lead to his superiors questioning his longevity in ministry and general stability. Well, that and the fact that Vincent actually did struggle with mental sickness. The life and mind of this messenger of God's peace could at times be tumultuous. Their are several theories as to why Vincent Van Gogh was troubled and sometimes hear voices. One that I have heard recently was that he may have had a form of Epilepsy that leads to seizures and auditory hallucinations. Van Gogh went without many things but the one thing that he did have was family. We have such an extensive record of Vincent Van Gogh's thoughts because of his letters that he wrote to his brother Theo Van Gogh, a Parisian art dealer. Theo would support and encourage his brother in his art and life. This is the unspoken background to Christian ministry: mutual support. Christ spoke of his messengers spreading blessings of peace upon the house of those that accepted them and their message. But what about the messengers themselves? Who would minister peace to them when they felt rejected and alone? That is why Jesus sent his missionaries in pairs. There are some Christian groups that emphasize the communal aspect of faith wonderfully. Yet there are still some approaches to following Christ (especially in America) that are too "me and Jesus." Yes, in the end you alone are the one who will answer to Christ, but he has also surrounded you with brothers (and sisters) for support and encouragement. They may not be blood brothers (like Theo and Vincent) but they may be that friend that sticks closer than a brother.

But why wasn't Theo enough to save Vincent? Sometimes this brotherhood and support may not come in the form of another believer. Sometimes this support may not come in the form of an individual but in the form of a service. Christians are implored to pray whenever sickness arrives. This is the right thing to do, however, I fear that their may be a false wall that we have erected between faith and medical science. It is almost that we feel that we are dishonoring God if we cannot remedy the situation with hands of prayer and the anointing of the sick. Let me be explicitly clear, the Lord choses many ways to heal people. Your job as a sick person is to pursue them... all of them. He uses prayer and the answer to that prayer may be the healing hands provided by a medical professional. This is even the case when the medical professional is not a believer. God has been known to use non-believers to fee his people (consider Cyrus the Great, a Persian king who emancipated the people of Israel and rebuilt the temple). I am going to go out on a limb and say that this is always the case with mental illness. You cannot just say a prayer and put a band aid on depression, schizophrenia, pedophilia or a score of other mental disorders that we as Christians have swept under the rug for too long. God provides support, but we must open our eyes, swallow our pride and accept his peace from the hands of others.

But Vincent sought medical support and he still took his own life in the end. What does that say about God's peace? Look, the peace of God is so valuable... but at the same time it is yet so elusive. It is hard to grasp. It is a butterfly floating away from a child in the wind and the child's net has holes in it. But if you are patient it will be yours. Sometimes it may not be a case of trying hard but just continuing to try. The Holy Spirit enables us to run marathons not sprints: sometimes it is not about the intensity of your faith but the endurance. Trust me, I have seen hard times when the world of sunshine and roses doesn't pierce through your dank shack of despair, but it does get better. If you suffer with mental illness of any kind then you must realize that God hasn't just called you to minister to others but to minister unto yourself and be ministered to. In Galatians St. Paul discusses the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in our life. Of these nine attributes the one that everyone skims over is long suffering. Ironically it is one of the greatest gifts can give anyone who wants the peace of God in hard times. It means what it says: suffering long. It is the spiritual tenacity that enables a believer to weather life's tumults. It is the road that leads to God's kingdom of peace. 

Vincent Van Gogh, Wheat Fields

And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

Visionaries can always be dismissed as dreamers. Sometimes their tales of grand plans can come to fruition. The story of Christ and Van Gogh both involve their own stories of a great community that they would erect. It is a tale of two utopias: Jesus’ & Vincent’s. After his failed attempt at ministry, Van Gogh took to painting. He did not abandon spiritual aspirations for he say painting as a godly calling. As we discussed earlier he encoded many of his artworks with parabolic symbolism. Later he would forge a friendship with Paul Gaughin (the great expressive painter of colorful Tahitian culture and corrupter of young Tahitian women). They eventually set out to build an art commune. Vincent saw this as an opportunity to recreate culture and even our concept of religion... I imagine that Gaughin saw is as a way to score chicks with his wingman Vince. They were roommates and after an argument and the collapse of their art commune idea, Van Gogh sliced off part of his ear. This was not the end for Van Gogh but it was the end of his idea of an artistic paradise. If he only understood Jesus' message that "the kingdom of God has come near you." Often times we misunderstand the whole concept of the kingdom of God as well. Does it mean Heaven, or some place that I go when I die? Yes. But it means more than that. A kingdom means "the king's domain." it is anywhere that a King has sovereignty over. Case in point, King George III of England, the King of England, naturally was the sovereign ruler of England (hence the title). But he also was the ruler over all of England's possessions over seas, which until a fight broke out in 1776 included 13 British colonies in the New World. It didn't matter that he resided in one particular area, he was the sovereign ruler of all that submitted to him. His kingdom extended overseas. Likewise God's kingdom encompasses more than Heaven (the place for angels and dead people), God's kingdom is wherever people submit to his rule. To take it one step further, God's kingdom is in Christ. It is Christ that would be "coming near" the townsfolk that the 72 would preach to. It is in Christ, not, Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem, that Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles will gather to worship God in spirit and truth. It is in Christ that the fullness of the God is revealed. It is in Christ that the harvest and the harvest workers will find God's peace.

 

Vincent Van Gogh, Wheatfield with Crows

Although Van Gogh painted several other types of paintings during his career (portraits, flowers, rooms), he stayed fascinated with the harvest of wheat fields until the end. Days after painting the canvas above, entitled Wheatfield with Crows, Vincent returned to the same field and shot himself. He was able to make back to the inn where he was staying and confessed to what he had done. He slipped into a coma and passed away. It appears that Just as Christ said in his parable of the sower after the seeds of the gospel had been sewed the birds of the air came and snatched them from Vincent's heart. This isn't the only story that I know of a minister struggling with impact of mental illness. When I was growing up in New Orleans, Bishop Paul Morton was in the midst of changing the landscape for many Black Baptists across the nation. He had built the Full Gospel Fellowship as an alternative for Baptist believers who chose a more Pentecostal/Charismatic approach to their worship. He also introduced a Baptist conference that was structured in a more diosecan format (hence the title "bishop) and ordained women into all levels of ministry. Even though I was from a more traditional Baptist background it was impossible not to feel his impact on the local Christian community. So when he openly discussed his Bipolar condition and subsequent mental breakdown in the late 90's it opened a new chapter in the Christian community. It showed that it was okay to be not okay. It showed that taking medicine can be an agent of God's grace for you physical and mental health. It showed that many bad things in our life only gain additional power when we hide them out of shame. The God's harvest is ripe. It is hungry souls waiting for the freedom that comes with the peace of God's kingdom. Those who are called to work this harvest must also realize that they too are part of the harvest. When Darkness clouds our minds we too must be nursed by others with lifesaving Light. If you do not have anyone that you can talk to or rely on to minister to you then do like Jesus said and "pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  You may not be perfect but you can be made better. You are the one that God sees as special. You are the one whose cries he listens to. You are the one who cannot give up. You are the one that Jesus died for, to have peace. You are the harvest.