I’m excited to share the exciting new work that will be on display May 24th at Boise First United Church of Christ, during this month of Pentecost and Memorial Day!
Jesus is all about growing understanding between people. This starts small between individuals understanding one another’s language, but then, with God’s love, it can blossom into a global understanding where all of creation is cared for.
Tongues of Fire
Tongues of Fire
Tongues of Fire is a carved painting inspired by the Biblical story in Acts 2, the Day of Pentecost, which marked the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem. “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” This miracle enabled them to speak in foreign languages (tongues) to the diverse crowd, which resulted in the birth of the Church.
This story is about expanding understanding among diverse people: understanding on a level of languages, but in the broadest sense, Jesus had also asked his followers to understand one another through empathy.
The Empathy Series
In this Empathy series of three works, circles represent beings, bare wood represents suffering, and threads stretched by nails are good intentions and thoughts that connect sometimes, but also at times miss their mark, represented by directionless threads.
The bare wood areas represent actual scarcity, or fear of scarcity, or scarcity mindset.
Empathy for the World
Empathy for the World
Empathy for the World pictures threads of good intentions. It has one of the threads missing to symbolize the gravity of suffering and struggles and sometimes the inability the individual has to even reach others, other individuals or other countries, with immense problems.
This tongue of fire: Empathic people of diverse languages and backgrounds, in cooperation with one another to provide aid to those near and far, can have powers of immense healing for our broken world.
Empathy for the Earth
Empathy for the Earth
Empathy for the Earth is about human-caused environmental disasters and the ravages of climate change. Human-caused climate change and pollution are destroying species and will continue to harm the lives of so many. This painting is about empathy for that suffering.
This tongue of fire: The understanding amongst people around the world through languages, understanding how to use and care for resources equitably, and minimizing pollution and negative impacts of one’s footprint is at the root of working all together to care for our planet.
Empathy of Spirit
Empathy of Spirit
Empathy of Spirit is ambiguous because people have such differences of thought on this matter that sometimes seem in conflict and disconnected. One may wonder: may conceptions of what is good and right legitimately ground one’s political convictions in a pluralistic society marked by diverse and often conflicting spiritual convictions?
Diversity is to be respected, and divisiveness is weighty and difficult. However, this painting suggests that unity of spirit on a deep level is a possibility for every human being.
Every person suffers. In many cases, in the midst of suffering, it may seem unlikely that one wants to put energy into understanding what others are thinking or feeling.
It’s true that evolution has dictated that in most cases one’s own survival is essential before others are considered. It is a sacred thing when one can also love people, as Jesus and many other wise ones teach, especially those who are different.
This tongue of fire: Humans have evolved the capacity to consider the well-being of others beyond themselves or their tribe, and that capacity, that empathy, is crucial to the broader survival of not only our species, but of our planet. We’ve just got to reach out to understand one another!
Sunshine on the Battleground
Sunshine on the Battlegorund
Sunshine on the Battleground deals with war and misanthropy and despair. It was born of the multiple wars, famines, oppression, and genocides that are ongoing. Added to this despair are the parts that my country, America, is playing in perpetuating this suffering.
I once thought America had invincible protections for all people, but our democracy is being eroded by the evils of greed, selfishness, divisiveness, ignorance, xenophobia, bigotry, and indifference and even delight in suffering.
Empathy has fallen out of favor with those in power.
This tongue of fire: A renewal of desperately needed understanding and empathy among those in power, harkening people to their better angels, is our only hope for those who suffer, including those in my country, America.
Conclusion
As stated before, Jesus is all about growing understanding between people. This understanding and empathy are at the heart of the work God’s people do to protect our earth and love all peoples and creation.
And understanding and empathy are the root of a peace that overcomes wars that so many have fought and died for including those who suffer war and famine’s ravages.
I know it’s not always easy to sit in these difficult emotions and realities, but it’s so important to explore and understand these elements of our world through art.
So thank you for supporting the arts!
– Gretchen Weitemier