|
One of the strongest, most remarkable features of Jesus's life was his ministry of performing healing miracles. The Gospels tell us that multitudes of people flocked to him to hear his teaching and to be healed.  The painting is an abstract
representation of the compassion and comfort of the
Christ. The design is not entirely original with me;
it was influenced by the logo of a health care
organization.All of us are aware how disease, sickness, torments, demon possession (mental illness), epilepsy, paralysis, blindness (just to name a few) can be serious, debilitating conditions that plague humankind. These are the very conditions that Jesus healed. The figures are rendered abstractly so we might imagine ourselves either as the caregiver or as the one being comforted. Truly, we each know what it is like to be in both roles. Framing the image is an oval inscribed with the words, “ALL ARE ONE IS ALL…” repeated around its circumference. The New Testament scriptures, John 14:20 and 17:21-23, Romans 12:5, Galatians 3:28, 1 Corinthians 8:6 and 12:12 – 27 speak clearly of the oneness of all people. The command to love others as ourselves is based on the reality that all humankind is united as a single entity -- like one, big family. I believe this truth is at the core of Jesus's teaching. If all are one and one is all, any suffering experienced by one individual is also experienced by all of us. I believe it is important for us to have this point of view when it comes to suffering. In the center of the oval is a bright star symbolizing understanding and hope. I believe that love and caring for one another embodies that hope. I think it is significant to note that the selection from Matthew 9 tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion for the people. The word, compassion, means strong feeling (passion) for others (com as in community). Another source of hope is the advancements in medical science in the treatment of physical and mental illness which are certainly vastly improved since Jesus's time. I believe strongly that it is God at work giving doctors and researchers the skills and knowledge to discover medical treatments. I believe the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine is evidence of God's provision. The important question is: how does all this apply to us today?  CREATE A FREE ONLINE JOURNAL -- CLICK HERE or HERE  
    |