1John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Rembrandt has it right; life is all about relationships, and not just our relationship with one another, our relationship with respect to the holy light, the individual relationship to God as we relate to one another in this world. The art of art and the heart of art is the mastery of the medium linked to powerfully communicate the layers and great depths of the moment it portrays. A portrait is so immensely more than capturing the moment, it should resonate and expose manifold layers of truth and insight to those who choose to ponder the imagery. We must learn to sit with the work and ponder the revelation just as the artist sat and pondered the detail of the portrait he was about to paint, and once complete in mind, begin the process of unleashing the vision.
My pastor, Brian Craig has it right too, as he preached yesterday's Easter sermon about this painting and the scripture from
Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Yes, Jesus went to those who would hear him, and for some of us, who claim to be followers of God, we may have lost our way, on the way, just as the Pharisees had. My pastor spoke of the parable of the "Prodigal Son" as not about the son, but rather about the father...calling it the parable of the compassionate father, ultimately calling us to move from being the rebellious son toward living as the compassionate father. For both the son who walked away from the father, taking and squandered his inheritance as well as the son who while faithful to the father, stood in bitterness as his father poured out compassion on the wayward son were errant, but God's light was available to each. No matter our place, God will pour out compassion if we choose to remain in His light.
God's fingerprints of faith pressed masterfully upon Rembrandt and Rembrandt faithfully impressed his own fingerprints upon the canvas, which now press faithfully upon this life unleashing truth, challenging this heart to pursue the depth of fully living as the artist, my pastor and my Lord inspires. The fingerprints of faith press gently on my heart, connecting me powerfully with relationship, to God, people and family.
Life is truly about relationships. Just a few days ago, my dad and I were talking about the selfish, self-serving nature of many in our world and the irritation it adds to our lives; people in a hurry, many racing drivers (especially those with fish or NOTW stickers on their cars). Just yesterday too, my wife and I were talking about a person who yelled at her because as she backed out of our driveway she didn't see the car coming in the distance (he was speeding incidentally) and wait for her to pull out and head off. You see, we are and would be just like these people if it weren't for grace pouring into our lives, our recognition of it and the living out of grace. When someone cuts me off on the road, I can either seethe or extend grace toward them thinking that they just didn't see me. It can't be that they want to get into an accident with me. It's all about relationships and how I choose to view them.
My desire is to be like the compassionate father, towards both sons. To build the right relationships with others including my family. I choose to come to the light, and realize that if we all did, the world would be filled with grace rather than selfishness, forgiveness rather than judgment and healing rather than feeling wronged. It is time for many more who claim to live for God and Jesus to actually live like those who serve as Jesus did. May we all serve with compassion as the father of the wayward son and faithful son did then and does now. It's time to live like we are not of this world.
