In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the centre of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I knew all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation
Thomas Merton
It all depends on your point of view”: you can live as if the world is against you- and the result will be a constant struggle and fighting – and possible paranoia.
You can live as if the universe is largely an indifferent place. This will be better than the first option – but while it may lead to a certain responsibility and creativity – it will still breed fear and anxiety.
Or you can live as if reality is fundamentally gracious –
that it provides opportunity –
despite bad things happening –
for growth, life, love, laughter and hope.
This leads to a radical trust,
delight in the “hidden wholeness” of humanity.
And to “spending and being spent” for the sake of others.
Nicholas Palumbo is one of thousands who have participated in Community Partners in Action’s Prison Arts Program over its forty-plus years of operation. Founded in 1977 and directed by Jeffrey Greene, the program “promotes self-examination and self-esteem in Connecticut inmates through participation in visual arts classes, exhibitions and publications, and brings the talent and creativity of the prison population to the community at large.”
This cut-out by Palumbo, titled Forgive, is one of the artworks the CPA purchased for its permanent art collection, which travels, along with new pieces, to public schools, universities, libraries, community centers, and galleries throughout the state.
Full of whimsy, Palumbo’s piece brings together the words “God,” “joy,” “love,” “faith,” and “forgive” with scripture references (Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God”; John 3:16, “For God so loved the world . . .”) and images of seashells, fish, birds, hearts, flowers, insects, a dog, a rock band under the stars, and children playing ring-around-the-rosy. I see it as an invitation into Christ’s joy-filled kingdom, which we must enter with faith like a child (Matt. 18:1-5; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17)—in trust, curiosity, and wonder.
Source: Art and Theology: Lent, Day 10, Victoria Emily Jones
For a printable PDF of the text of this meditation please click the link below.
