Our Sunrise

Acrylic on canvas, 2010

This painting is about God’s love and grace extending across space and time.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
– Luke 1:68-79 

How Do We Measure Time?

Acrylic on canvas glued to inside of clock, 2011

How do we measure time? I spent a few hours one afternoon reading Wikipedia articles on man’s concept of time and it was quite fascinating. There are many who have put a lot of thought into this, and it is fun to think about such things sometimes. But I wonder if we are neglecting a more important aspect of time.

Every year we celebrate our birthday. We have lived one more year of life – or have we? What constitutes as life? Do we count how much life we have lived by our age, our accomplishments, our travels, our happiness, and how much others have admired and loved us? There is a saying to not count your life by years, but by friends, but I don’t think that is quite right either. Life is more than a popularity contest. So what is it? I think true life is about being in relationship with God and with one another.

This clock is about that fellowship, and it is a reminder for me to not count my life by hours, days, or years, but by love.