the audacity of hope

I read a George MacDonald book this month. One phrase has stuck like a thorn in my brain: “If it is possible in heaven, then it is possible on earth.”

It sounded a bit pie-in-the-sky-ish to me until I was assaulted by the Lord’s Prayer on Sunday. The little part where it says, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” The kingdom of God has to do with the here-and-now and is wrapped up in outrageous hope. If it is possible in heaven, I have to believe it is possible on earth- this is what it means to live with a sense of Christian hope.

I have this dark black cloud of Oaxaca-under-siege hanging over my head. What does it mean to bring heaven to a place that looks more like hell than anything else? This is one of those “I-believe-help-my-unbelief” situations for me. I don’t think I really believe peace can exist and pain can end today. Or tomorrow. Or in this life. In the words of MacDonald’s literary child, C.S. Lewis, I am content making mud pies in my back-yard when the potential of sand-castles on the sea-shore is being offered to me. I desire too little- because I have a very narrow vision of hope.

“If it is possible in heaven, then it is possible on earth.”

Oaxaca = War Zone

q&a from the bbc
mark in mexico blog
el universal
narco news
indie media
some photos
please pray for peace and the safety of our families and friends...

hmmm... happy places

color paint and color balls.

sexuality in the arts

hey jedi counsel- you know who you are. i've been thinking a lot about sexuality in the arts lately and have lots of questions. in the christian subculture, themes of sensuality, sexuality and erroticism are avoided for many reasons. i'll just toss out a few in no particular order:

- most commonly is the want to maintain a certain or assumed moral standard with the assumption that if we don't engage these themes, we will be more successful at maintaining this higher morality.
- additionally, desire is not something that is always embraced in faith circles- creating a fear of being awakened to sensuality- so we pretend it isn't there or show people precisely what it should look like.
- another layer is the trans-generational audience found in the church that is often not found in other artistic venues creating a difficult forum in which to dialogue around sexuality.
- and then there is the "sacredness" of sexuality in the christian tradition, which i acknowledge. however, this ideal is often projected on to unions who's "marriage beds" are found wanting in life. thus, shrouded by this alleged "sacredness", we fail to engage our experiences of sexuality. etc...

i bring this up because i find myself wanting to engage these themes in my artwork but not really knowing how to. what's appropriate? what's too much? when does it become porn? why are we afraid? what does it mean to be co-creators/artist's in the image of God, as whole people?

Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck is an Australian "hyper-realist" sculpture working in London. The sheer size and intimacy of his pieces are astounding. He is able to recreate the minutest of detail in the human body, but often plays with scale to create a stunning sensation for the viewer. As i looked at his pieces I noticed that his models are either oblivious to being watched or they are hyper aware of the viewer- and either one of those stances seems to be the essence of what subtle human emotion is being portrayed in the piece. so as the viewer, you are either delighted to get to spy on an older woman's pensive moment in bed (what is she pondering as she gazes past me?) or you are caught by the awkward shifty eyes of the big-little-man sitting naked in the corner wanting nothing more than for you to move on to the next piece. Mueck definitly captures what I feel our discussion about Banksy was around. here is the best collection i could find of Mueck's work. (viewer discretion advised: nudity)

symbols & disconnect

symbols have been carrying me.

i went to the doctor this morning- strep throat and bronchitis...

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.


i've been thinking about how profoundly difficult it is to truly connect with another human being.

mutuality, reciprocity, relationality, encounter, I & Thou... war, disconnect, sickness, busyness, apathy, fatigue, isolation, disconnect, traffic, look me in the eyes, disconnect...