Old Testament Word & Image: Exodus 22:20-26 & Mark Vallen

No Human Being Is Illegal, Mark Vallen

Exodus 22:20-26

“You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.


I Am Not The Enemy, Mark Vallen

"You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 


Not Our Children, Mark Vallen

and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.


Voices Of Justice, Mark Vallen

“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down.

 

My Nature is Hunger, Mark Vallen

Old Testament Word & Image: Exodus 34:4-9 & The Brick Testament by Brendan Powell Smith

Replacement Stone Tablets, The Brick Testament, Brendan Powell Smith

 

Exodus 34:4-9

 

So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.

Replacement Stone Tablets, The Brick Testament, Brendan Powell Smith

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Replacement Stone Tablets, The Brick Testament, Brendan Powell Smith

Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”

Old Testament Word & Image: Exodus 17:3-7 & Frank Lloyd Wright

Fallingwater (Kaufmann Residence), Frank Lloyd Wright

Exodus 17:3-7

 

And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”



And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”



And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Glow

The Transfiguration mosaic, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

Matthew 17:1-9

 

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light... 

 

When I was a kid I thought that Jesus' head glowed in real life. I read a lot of those Bible story books for kids that featured paintings of the Masters in which Jesus always had a halo. I didn't understand that this was just an artistic tool to communicate holiness/sacredness. In my childhood mind I thought that Jesus walked around glowing 24/7 like The Last Dragon. This being the case I just couldn't understand why those around him didn't understand that he was God incarnate...I mean he is glowing people! I would have at least have expected them understand that there was something special about him. What would you think if someone you knew just started shining and emitting light? In today's reading we have a case where this occurred. The Bible never speaks of Jesus walking around with a consistent halo on but it does discuss an episode in which three of his disciples saw his face shine, his clothes whiten and two dead prophets carry on a conversation with him as the voice of God spoke from above. As they found themselves in this fantastic scene they were left with the task of sorting out what it all meant.

 

The Chapel of Moses, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

The Shining

 

...And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”...

 

As was often the case, Peter was the first to speak out. Seeing that the spirits of Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus he offered that they should three tabernacles to honor these three great men of God. Later on in history the Franciscans would build the church that is pictured in these images at the location in which they believe the Transfiguration occurred. Similar to Peter's proposal, they built three chapels in it to honor Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Actually the "chapel" to honor Jesus is the main altar of the church... and technically all of the altars (like the altars in any Catholic church) are dedicated to the sacrifice of Christ (despite whatever particular imagery may be above it). This is because the Franciscans understand something that Peter did not quite grasp in this story. Jesus is greater than any of the great prophets of the past. Jesus was whom they prophesied about. The conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah was not a meeting of equals for just like the Disciples, Moses and Elijah two were in need of the grace that Christ would purchase on the cross. But there where significant reasons for Moses and Elijah to be present at this moment.

Moses was the Law-giver. The first five books of the Old Testament are the Torah, the Law. Not only is Moses similar to Jesus in that he heard from God, gave directions concerning the Law and freed God's people but Moses was also the first miracle worker described in scripture (I guess you could sort of consider Sampson's feats miracles). Specifically these miracles are called signs and wonders. They are wonders wrought as a sign that the message proclaimed from these men was from God. Often times when God was revealing something new to humanity he did it through miracle workers to validate there claims of speaking for God. When you consider the time span that the narratives in the Bible occur in, miracles and God speaking didn't occur that often. That is why they were wondrous when they did occur. Except for a few exceptions Scripture records three pairs of consistent miracle working prophets (I use the phrase "pair loosely here): Moses and Aaron (with Joshua), Elijah and Elisha and Jesus and the Apostles (with the Apostolic generation of 1st century believers). The final similarity to Moses is his shining face. Exodus tells us that after Moses would go and speak to God on the mountain his face would shine, so he would wear a veil when talking to the Israelites. The significance of Jesus' shine and speaking to Moses was to show that not only was he authorized to speak authoritatively concerning the Law but he also was in conversation with God Himself.  

 

The Chapel of Elijah, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

I Hear Voices

 

...While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid... 

The Jewish Bible (the Christian Old Testament) is referred to as the Tanakh in Judaism. It is a acronym using the first Hebrew letters of each subdivision of the Scriptures: "Torah ("Teaching", also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im ("Prophets") and Ketuvim ("Writings")—hence TaNaKh." Elijah was seen as the greatest of the prophets. Scripture holds that he was taken into heaven upon a fiery chariot and did not see traditional death. This being the case he has long been associated with being the foreteller of the Messiah. Jesus taught that John the Baptist (Jesus' forerunner) played the role of Elijah in announcing the Messiah's arrival. Being a prophet, Elijah not only spoke for God (and performed signs and wonders) but also heard from God. The most popular one of these instances is when Elijah is fleeing persecution and hears God's voice in an unexpected way... as a still small voice. When God speaks from Heaven to Jesus' disciples it wasn't just to announce that Jesus was the Messiah (symbolized by Elijah's appearance) but that He was God's very own Son. God implored the disciples to listen to Jesus because he was not just the Law-giver or one of the Prophets but because he was the very Word of God in flesh.  

The write of the book of Hebrews starts off by stating: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." It basically says God spoke through the Prophets in the past but now He speaks through the words of Christ. You may have noticed that I play softball on this blog. I give a few details on the particulars of what I specifically believe, but as a whole I try to find the good that is in the body of Christ in general. You may know that I am a Baptist, but I usually don't get into too many things that would cause unnecessary division. Sometimes I reveal a little more, not in an effort to demonize another believer with different beliefs but rather to highlight what I think a particular scripture may be showing. Theologically I am what you would call a Cessationist. Cessationism basically states that the sign gifts (miracles, prophecy, tongues, etc.) were for a specific purpose (the initial revelation of God's word) and when that purpose was fulfilled the went away... hence the "cease" part of "cessation." If I were in the position to rename theological notions I would re-brand "cessation" as "graduation." The sign gifts were like classes that you go to every week day for 12 years or more. They are not your life vocation, but they teach you about your future life's vocation. Once you have been taught you graduate into the working world. The sign gifts were an instructional period in Church/Salvation history but now we have graduated into a period in which we work the things that God has taught/revealed to us. Even though the future outside of school may be frightening a graduation is always a time to celebrate and never a time to be scared.

Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

Don't Be Scurred! (*intentionally misspelled)

...But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only...

After the transfiguration Jesus looked upon the three of his disciples that had just witnessed the mind boggling event. He saw men who had just witnessed a miracle a mystery and a calling. He gave them the gift of Comfort. This is the gift of faith, hope and love that remain past any spiritual gift. It is also the same gift that we are called to offer the world. It isn't parting the Red Sea, making fire fall from the sky or raising the dead but it is miraculous. We live in a world devoid of faith, hopeless and loveless. We live in a world of violence. We live in a world with orphans, widows and prisoners. We live in a world too often short of opportunity, resources and friendship. A world like this doesn't need anyone else to walk on water... it needs a kind hand to give it a cup of water at a hospital bed and strong arms to dig a well in a barren land. You don't have to pray to God to give you miraculous powers to move mountains. The ministry that he has called you to he has prepared you for. He has prepared you by making you a normal person with a few non-miraculous talents...but with a miraculously saved soul, a transformed mind and an open heart. This is the vocation that Christ calls you to...and the only one that exists. It is a ministry with great need and few workers. It is intimidating but you should not be intimidated because Christ goes with you. So “Arise, and do not be afraid”... or in other words, get up and go to work!

The dual level nave, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

Conclusion & Context

...Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
 
The Franciscans built the nave of the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor with two levels. One level is in the depths of the building in an area where many older churches have catacombs and/or relics of saints. This feature is usually a testament to the "foundation" of the church being built upon the saints and forefathers of the faith. The other level is the main floor where we see the mosaic of Christ floating in mid air in the Transfiguration. The Christian message in itself is based on the dual structure of a "depth" and grounded part that looks up to the heavens. When Christ consoled his disciples after the Transfiguration he admonished them to keep the event a secret until after his crucifixion and resurrection. It was after Jesus' resurrection and appearance to the apostles that they started making sense of everything he said and did. Everything in Scripture and Christian practice must be viewed through this very same lens. The point of it all (what we believe, what we do, how we live) is all because of what Christ did for us. He embraced the death of the cross so that we might be free from the punishment of sin...but then he conquered death so that we might embrace eternal life. This was the greatest of his signs and wonders, Not only did it show that God authorized his message but it showed that He was Almighty God Himself. It shows us that we have nothing to fear... not even death itself. Christ was once in the depths (dead) but he rose and confirmed the truth of eternal life to his disciples before ascending into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. Therefore, each believer should heed his commission to "Arise, and do not be afraid.” We arise to shine the message of faith, hope and love that Christ has written on our hearts. Faith and hope which continually abide and love which will never cease.

 

Law & Order: Biblical Intent

Jane Rosenberg, Courtroom Artists at Martha Stewart Trial

Matthew 5:20-37

 

²⁰ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

New York artist Jane Rosenberg is careful about describing what she does for a job when speaking to others. Sure she tells them that she's an artist but being more specific than that is where it gets complicated. Chances are you've probably unknowingly seen her work. Jane is somewhat known for her plein air paintings of Central Park, Manhattan and other outdoor New York scenes, however, her bread and butter comes from her fame as a painter of New York interiors... court rooms. Jane Rosenberg is the go-to court room artist for New York city's most high profile court cases. We live in an age of Court TV but not all trials are given televised coverage. Some don't even allow photographers, so the tradition of the court room artist is the public's primary means of imagining the daily happenings of the trial. The court room artist's task is not an easy one due to a few challenges: the artist cannot take photographs and take them home to create an illustration so the pictures must be created live. The key to being a quality court room artist is picking points in the trial's daily action that capture the spirit of what you are trying to communicate. By "spirit" I mean the essence and overall direction of the message that one tries to communicate. Capturing the spirit of a message of any type (art, literature, laws, etc.) begins with communicating the intent of the creator.



This isn't the first time when a description of the legal process and this notion of spirit cross paths. It's actually Jesus' take on the legal process. What am I talking about? Well everyone knows that Jesus was a first century Jewish prophet. You are probably know that his disciples followed him as a rabbi. You are also probably familiar with him being a carpenter like his father Joseph. But what if I told you that Jesus was a lawyer? Say what? Well the first five books of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (the Torah) are actually a legal document. Yes they are used for religious law but there were various points in history when they were used as the only law of the land. So when Jesus or the latter New Testament writers (or even the Old Testament) refer to "The Law" they are referencing the Torah and later writings that explain and comment on it. The primary role of a rabbi was to study the Law and other scriptures and teach their disciples how to follow them: the scribes of the Law did it with their followers, the Pharisees did it with their disciples and Jesus did it with his own. So as Jesus' current day disciples is is critical that we understand his take on scripture: what did he understand as the Spirit of the Law? When Christians think about the Law aspect of Scripture they usually think of the 10 Commandments, however, when our Jewish brethren think of the 613 Mitzvot. In actuality both are correct. The 613 Mitzvot are every mention of a command/law in the Torah enumerated while the 10 Commandments are more of are a gist of what God's law in general is about. Both are delivered from Moses but the 10 commandments appear to be an attempt to capture the spirit of the Law as a whole. Sometimes we can get overwhelmed by something large with a lot of intricate moving parts. This leads us to focusing on certain particular laws and missing the overall message of the Law. It's a classic case of "missing the forest for the trees." This appears to be the case with the Pharisees and their followers. Their focus on following the Law "down to the letter" caused them to miss the whole intent of the Law and simultaneously opened up major loopholes that defeated the original intent of the Laws that they professed to follow. Since they were a major religious faction in first century Judaism it made Jesus and his disciples' approach to the Law appear as if they were trying defy the Law and destroy it altogether. Jesus' answer to this was that he was not trying to destroy the Law but to fulfill it...and fulfill it in a way that went past the efforts of the Pharisees and other Jewish schools of thought. Jesus' teaching was focused on not only following the letter of the Law but the spirit of the Law... the original biblical intent. This being the case let's do an exercise in investigating Jesus' take on certain points of the law and how to honor the spirit of them fully.

Murder

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,^[a] and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause^[b] shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. ²³ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Biblical Reference: Exodus 20:13

Spirit of the Law: It is not enough to abstain from murdering your brother but rather one must address that which leads to murder. The original root of the sin lies at disrespect, hatred and revenge. Therefore one must treat these three things as sin to truly honor the Law.

Biblical Intent: The intention of the Law is not to have hatred in your heart or react in anger but to react to an offence in love.



Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said to those of old,^[c] ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[d] 28} But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Biblical Reference: Exodus 20:14

Spirit of the Law: Adultery (and various types of sexual sin) is the end result of a chain of events. The evil does not start with the breaking of the marriage bond but rather with an unrighteous desire for that which is not yours... a.k.a. lust. The prevention of this sin is to remove those things within you that cause you to trip up. Jesus says the hand and the eye for hyperbole's sake but the true culprits are usually the mind and the heart.  

Biblical Intent: The intention is to abstain from unrighteous lust on any level by embracing self control. By no means is Jesus saying that sexual desire is evil but rather unrestrained sexual desire not put to its proper purpose (in love, commitment and marriage) can lead to destructive ends.



Marriage

³¹ “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality^[e] causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Biblical Reference: Deuteronomy 24:1-4

Spirit of the Law: This is a tricky one and there are divergent opinions between various Christians over the permissibility and parameters of divorce. many of them seem to earnestly be using their interpretation of Scripture's guidance despite their varied outcomes. Jesus is shown speaking on this subject a second time in Matthew. His later response directly references the permission of divorce granted by Moses. He states that Moses allowed divorce due to the "hardness of your hearts." Divorce is not preferable but in some cases it is permissible, understandable and in some cases the best option at hand. Jesus appears to be commenting on our motivation and considerations for divorce... specifically considering the good of the other person and not leading them into sin. Disclaimer: If you are being abused by your please consider it your duty to prevent them from committing the act of murder or further harming you by removing yourself from hat dangerous situation. Sometimes you ca still show Godly love for someone by removing your presence from them and praying for them at a safe distance.

Biblical Intent: The intention of this Law is to be considerate of others in every situation and not lead them into sin. This even carries through with instances of separation from others such as divorce. You can still show love in hard circumstances.

Oaths

³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Biblical Reference: Exodus 20:7 and Leviticus 19: 12

Spirit of the Law: Despite what your parents taught you the third of the 10 Commandments has nothing to do with using profane language. That's the common mistake of confusing the two uses of the word "swearing." Of course profanity is not a good thing, especially when used to insult others, but this commandment deals with the swearing definition that means to take an oath... specifically one that entails using God's name or the promise of God's assistance to perform it. Yeah, like the thing that you do when you go to court and put your hand on the bible. Honestly the only Christian group that I know that takes a overall stance against this practice are the Quakers. Jesus' objection to this is based on people promising things that they cannot perform. Sure it may seem like a noble and even religious thing to say "Lord willing" or "with God's help" but if God has other plans than you on how the rest of history will shape out it seems to make Him appear to be a liar doesn't it? We shouldn't use any inflated terms or divine cosigning to authorize our credit. As Jesus says our ‘Yes’ should be ‘Yes,’ and our ‘No’ should be ‘No.’ If we are honest, reliable and dutiful to our service then that should be good enough.

Biblical Intent: The intention is to be honest and reliable in your dealings



Conclusion

So if Jesus' teachings about biblical intent help us discover the Spirit of the Law, what then is the overall intent of Jesus' message? The four major pillars of his message in Matthew 5:20-37 seem to boil down to Forgiveness, Abstinence from Sin/Personal Holiness, Concern for Other's Spiritual Well Being and Honesty/Reliability. Isn't it interesting that the things that God is interested in getting out of us the most has to deal with our treatment of other people? That's because all of these four pillars can be categorized into pieces of one thing: Love. It is what St. Paul in Galatians 6:2 would call the Law of Christ: bearing the burdens of your brethren. It is what Christ and Moses would phrase as loving your neighbor as yourself. Why? Well because God is Love. So in the end when we stand before God as our judge his basement will be based on how we loved. To those who showed love He will show even more love and accept them as His dear children.

Community Dwelling



Swoon, wheat paste hand colored woodcut print on public wall 

Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God...

 

Art ownership is usually something that we associate with home ownership. It is not that one has to be rich to buy art (but it sure does help) but it helps if you have a wall (or refrigerator) to hang your paintings on. So whether it is a house, an apartment or that cosmopolitan hybrid commonly known as a condo, art is often something that we put in our homes: a secondary consideration after we find shelter. After the cavemen moved into caves they then consulted the nearest interior designer to advise them on what cave paintings to display on their walls. Art is a way for us to mark our place in the world?  But what about the homeless: those without homes? What about refugees: those without a homeland? Where is the dwelling place in which they place their treasure? I believe that an answer can be found between one of my favorite psalms and one of my favorite street artists. Moses wrote Psalm 90 understanding what it was like to not have a home or a country. He was the leader of a nation of newly emancipated slaves that would wander the wilderness for the last 40 years of his life. Generations earlier Abraham, the forefathers of the Jewish people, had been called by God to leave his hometown (in present-day Iraq) and sojourn to a foreign land that would be his children's inheritance. God chose to be the god of pilgrims, nomads and freed slaves, creating a community where none had existed before. To these hoards of believers God would reveal Himself to be their true home. Street Artist Swoon has made a name for herself by creating artworks that don't reside within homes but rather create a community themselves. She first garnered attention by posting her wheat paste prints on public walls. These prints were beautiful in themselves and showed the beauty of the the overlooked members of the neighborhoods where the pictures where posted.  Both Moses and Swoon became members of communities of the marginalized. It is the marginalized, overlooked and rejected that God invites into His home. He places them on a pedestal as His work of art and values them as His treasures.



Swoon, Konbit Shelter Project, Haiti



...You turn man to destruction,And say, “Return, O children of men.”

For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers...

 

As beautiful as Swoon's prints are they still are temporary. They are made of wheat paste and posted publicly where they will be weathered by the elements. At the end of the day wheat is just a grass and just like Psalm 90 says it withers away. As beautiful and honorable as they are the people who are the subjects of Swoon's art will also pass away some day. Such is the fate of men and grass. Psalm 90 is all about the juxtaposition of the eternal nature of God and temporariness of Man. People understand things better when they have a point of measurement to compare a subject with. Moses compares the immenseness of God and eternity with the frailty of Man. It is hard to grasp the meaning of both of these subjects (God and eternity). Being that we cannot fully define them experientially, we rely on metaphors to show what they are like or what they are "greater than." Moses knew that his readers knew what a year was because they had experienced many of them. Therefore they could imagine what a thousand of them could be like It is much greater than the year that they understood. Yet a thousand years are nothing in the sight of the Lord's eternal vantage point. God was greater than even their perception of Time. Moses was revealing that this God that was greater than everything was as intimate and warm to the Israelites as a home. He was a solid home that would protect them from the storms of life. God is a house built upon rock with a solid foundation that can withstand tragedy. When a tragic earthquake struck the nation of Haiti in 2010 many people around the globe responded through giving. This calamity had destroyed houses, hospitals and government buildings alike. Those that were able travelled to Haiti and assisted with the rebuilding. Swoon used her own creativity in combination with science and communal effort to design a new earthquake resistant community in Haiti. The Konbit Shelter Project constructed adobe homes for earthquake victims that were dome shaped to withstand earthquakes of similar size. It also utilized local materials, coil-type construction that you see in pottery and a building material called super adobe invented by the Iranian born architect and humanitarian Nader Khalili. When Moses talks of man's fragility he contrasts it with God's solidity, firmness and endurance. God is like one of Swoon's Konbit shelters. When life gives us tragedies that tosses us to and fro, sifting us like wheat, God stands strong. Those who dwell in Him are protected fro danger. 





Swoon, Swimming Cities of Serenissima, Venice, Italy

...For we have been consumed by Your anger,

And by Your wrath we are terrified.
You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom...

 

 Moses speaks of God "carry(ing) them away like a flood" and later goes on to discuss Man's frailty in the face of God's wrath: our moral deficiency faced with His judgments. It is in Moses' book of Genesis that we discover that God had indeed judged Mankind with a flood. None was found righteous save for one man (Noah) and his family. To escape His wrath God inspired Noah to create a large boat (the Ark) with which to weather the storms with a community of his family and pairs of the world's animals). Like Noah, Swoon also engaged in some amateur boat making. Hers was not one great boat but rather an armada of several ramshackle raft creations that look like they were created by objects found in Fred Sanford's junkyard. At first Swoon gathered her friends and sailed up rivers in America but later when she was selected to be the representative artist for the United States at the prestigious Venice Biennale, she upped the ante. The crew created rafts made of New York City garbage and sailed into the Grand Canal of the city of Venice, Italy. Swoon had taken a remnant from the refuse and created a seaworthy vessel for this new community that she had created. Now just like the Creation story in Genesis there is debate amongst Christians about the Flood narrative. Was it a deluge that encased the whole world, the whole known world or just Noah's immediate world. Whichever you chose to believe the themes of the story are the same: God judges and God saves. Both damnation and salvation, justice and mercy are delivered from the Sovereign of the Universe. Both seem to fulfill the Lord's purpose of redemption and renewal. After the Great Flood, Noah's family and the pairs of animals went and fulfilled God's earlier command to "be fruit and multiply." But God gave them more commands than He had provided for Adam and Eve, as He made His covenant with Noah He announced a prohibition against murder and set a precedent of demanding justice of all nations. When Moses told this story in Genesis He did so as a precursor to what he would show in the four other books of the Torah/Law. Moses would later tell of God's saving of the nation of Israel from Egyptian bondage, His revelation of the commandments and all of the Law and the subsequent judgment of many who had heard the Law. So Moses would pen this psalm as a testament of all that he had seen concerning Man before God's judgment. Sometimes we don't think about the fact that salvation as an act of judgment as well. When God saved the Israelites it also was an act of judgment against the nation of Egypt. God's mercy towards Israel was an ark of protection against the greater wrath that He was exercising against their captors. We too have an ark of salvation that saves us from God's judgment. This is the Body of Christ. The Church is an assortment of believers around the world like Noah's animals but we come together because God has chosen us worthy to be saved from His wrath. Yet our status of worthiness is not due to anything we have done but rather what Christ has done. Like Swoon when Christ designed his ark he sifted through the refuse. He gathered sinners from the debris of humanity and created a remnant to save. It is with these sinners that Christ found a home. It is to these sinners that Christ is a home. Jesus sails into Heaven upon this ramshackle group of believers. Though we were thrown away before, Christ has redeemed and re purposed us. He has re-commissioned us to be God's armada: not an army of destruction but one of salvation.     

 

Swoon, Music Box, New Orleans

...Return, O Lord!

How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

 

New Orleans is a city nestled in the Gulf Coast swamps of Southeast Louisiana. A place where it is not unheard of to live in a houseboat. Yet Swoon did not create arks or houseboats of any type in New Orleans. Swoon made ordinary land based structures but they were made of river refuse and the leftovers from a dilapidated Creole cottage. Swoon built more than a house: she built a shanty town. And to honor New Orleans' musical heritage she built one that actually plays music. All of the buildings and rooms incorporate elements from musical instruments. They also provide a space where local musicians can perform. That is what the Lord's mercy is. It is not just a house to protect us from danger. It is not just an ark to save us from judgment. God's mercy is place of joy. God's mercy is a place of music and singing. When Moses wrote this poem because he continually found himself in God's mercy. God's mercy is a portico in which do dance within. It is a dining hall to sit within and make merriment with family, friends, strangers and enemies. God is a shelter from tears for those who dwell in Him.    

 

Inside My Skin

The Two Fridas, Frida Kahlo

Deuteronomy 30:9b-14

"For the Lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it."

Today is my second wedding anniversary. On August 20, 2011 my wife and I exchanged vows with her priest and my father (who is a preacher) co-officiating. My wife is a tremendous blessing to me. No, honestly she is...It's not like I'm trying to score points with her because I forgot our anniversary or something. She is both the loveliest and classiest person that I know. It's like someone merged the personalities of Roma Downey and Clair Huxtable. Our relationship, with its growing, forgiving, patience and learning really does teach me more about the Lord. Honestly that's why I first fell in love with her... she truly was fascinated and amazed with who Jesus of Nazareth was (and is). It made me have an amazing draw towards her. There was something deep within my being that wanted to be around her. It was magnetic. As our relationship grew our denominational differences made us focus on what we both had in common, Jesus. And in the end that is the greatest thing to share with anyone. Now we are not necessarily your classic Christian family: the Duggars or the Winans or whomever your ideal. We are different but our differences lead me to learn, humble myself and grow. We are not perfect but Love itself is perfect and that's what we aspire towards. That is what we made our vows about: the ones written on paper and the that had been forged within the inside of us.   

Being with my wife is terrific because we can share our whole world of references with each other. She exposes me to the worlds of Opera and Orchestral music and I expose her to McDonald's and witty Lil' Wayne lines... or at least I try to. We actually do share a love for music. Music can be a great means of sharing the lyrics of love that your heart felt but you never knew how to express. That's why I love listening to my wife as she practices singing in the evening while I paint. One of my favorites that she does is a song by Jewel called "Absence of Fear." The lyrics are so powerful because it delves right into what it means to love, want and need someone. It wasn't one of our wedding song (and it may not have been played at our reception) but it plays inside of me when I think of how beautiful her soul is. 

Inside my skin there is this space
It twists and turns
It bleeds and aches
Inside my heart there's an empty room
It's waiting for lightning
It's waiting for you
And I am wanting
And I am needing you here
Inside the absence of fear
Muscle and sinew
Velvet and stone
This vessel is haunted
It creaks and moans
My bones call to you
In their separate skin
I make myself translucent
To let you in, for
I am wanting
And I am needing of you here
Inside the absence of fear
there is this hunger
This restlessness inside of me
and it knows that you're no stranger
you're my gravity
My hands will adore you through all darkness aim
They will lay you out in moonlight
And reinvent your name
For I am wanting you
And I am needing you here
I need you near
Inside the absence of fear
-Jewel

Relationships are not perfect institutions. Vows are not always kept or respected. Maybe that's why so many people try and avoid marriage. Ironically they still involve themselves on some basic level, because everyone needs to be connected (except for this weird trend going on in Japan that I heard about, but that's beside the point). Art history is full of art couples. Some of them good, like Christo and Jeanne Claude, and some of them not so good, like Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner. But let's only discuss the bad ones because let's be honest, you are messy and you just finished reading MediaTakeout.com (a gossip website that makes TMZ seem like a church bulletin). Paramount among these tumultuous relationships amongst art giants is the marriage of Mexican painter/ feminist icon Frida Kahlo and Mexican muralist/ Communist activist Diego Rivera. The reason that Frida was such an amazing painter was that she laid it all bare on the canvas. Art had already evolved to being about the painter and not necessarily the patron, but Frida took it to the extreme and made it about a specific painter, herself. Her balance of her Mestizo identity, he debilitating health concerns after a tragic auto accident, her miscarriages, her love for Diego but her hate for his philandering ways: Frida exposed the whole of her self in her paintings. I doubt that Frida made a painting every day, but if she did her schedule would look a lot like this:

Monday: Make painting about my love for Diego
Tuesday: Make painting about my tragic accident
Wednesday: Make painting with me and a bunch of parrots
Thursday: Make painting about Diego breaking my heart
Friday: Make painting about the tragic health affects after my tragic accident
Saturday: Make painting with me and some random monkeys
Sunday: Make painting about Diego breaking my heart but me still loving him

This background gives us a peek into the meaning of The Two Fridas. In it Frida Kahlo has painted two self portraits holding hands. They are dressed differently but both have their hearts exposed. They one on the left wears the wedding dress that Frida wore at her wedding with Diego. She also holds scissors that have cut open her heart. This symbolizes the way that her husband Diego has repeatedly destroyed her heart while running after Hollywood starlets. The other Frida figure holds a picture of Diego in her hand... because in the end she still loves Diego and is willing to reconcile with him despite his past adulteries. Love can be messy. Love can be hurtful. Love can pierce you deep on the inside.

Moses knew about the tumultuous love affair between God and His people well. As a prophet He was almost like God's wing man. He was the go between that would tell the Israelites how God loved the, remembered them and wanted to give them the world... or at least a plot of land in Palestine that is about the size of New Jersey. He also was the go between that would tell he people how God was infuriated with them, but that the anger was just because he loved them and didn't want to lose them.
In Deuteronomy 30 Moses tells how God will rejoice if only they would keep his statutes and commands, just like he did with their parent's generation... back in the beginning of their relationship, when they made promises to each other. God promised to be their God, to love and protect them. Israel promised to honor and obey Him... to put no one else before Him. Things weren't perfect back then, but Love is perfect and that's what they aspired to have. Moses reminds the Lord's beloved that the things that His demands are not far off. They are not unheard of. They are familiar because they are what their Love was based on. They are actually stored within the Israelites' hearts and souls. They were etched on their hearts and sung in their mouths. His commands were within them because His they were the vows of their love.

Scripture is a love song and a painting about heart break. It is about God and his wife Israel. It is about Jesus and his bride the Church. It is the courting of the Holy Spirit, whispering to your heart about you and God getting back together again. Sometimes our relationship with God is as beautiful and complete as what Jewel sang about. Sometimes we play Diego Rivera and leave God like Frida. But God never stops loving us, never stops wanting us back and like an Ex that won't give up He keeps sending us text messages through the text of Scripture (by the way, that was very funny). Maybe that's why it is hard to read the Bible when your life isn't quite right. It is not just about the guilt trips, but its that the guilt trips are based in something real, something beautiful, something that's gotten complicated, a relationship. So instead of talking to Him you just don't read His messages anymore. That's the thing, most relationships don't end with a huge break up. They fizzle out when you just stop talking. Sometimes absence doesn't make the heart grow fond at all. It just makes the heart grow cold... and suddenly you don't believe in or consider the other person at all. That's why I see loving relationships as one of God's secondary forms of communication. God repeatedly shows his love in Scripture wrapped in the metaphor of a loving relationship: as a parent, as a spouse, as a mother bird, as an adoptive parent. But he also shows his love in everyday life through relationships: for better or worse. More than often in life we experience God's grace through the hands of others. When I look at my wife I get a glimpse of how much God must love me. How much He can look past my faults and see my needs. How much He can be angry at me but still forgive me. And its all based on vows that we took together. Vows that are written on paper but also deep inside of us.