Isaiah
11:1
A
shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of
his roots.
A number of
scripture text use natural elements to make a point. At some time we’ve all
seen a shoot emerging from a tree stump. New life
emerging from what seems lifeless is miraculous.
My husband,
Brian, has been canoeing and camping for almost 40 years and it seems that
every trip he includes a photo or two of a stump with a shoot emerging.
We kid him that we are going to put together an exhibit called “Stump Art.”
In this single sentence from Isaiah, the prophet is offering reassurance to his people that even though they believe there is no life left in the family “tree” of Jesse, a new shoot will emerge. There’s life in the old tree even yet.
Isaiah is
giving us a new way to look at the world. I think that’s why I enjoy art and
artists because they offer a new way to look at life.
As I explored the concept of new life emerging from stumps I came across an Irish artist, Michael Geddis, who is looking at life at the micro level and creating art to give us a new perspective. Here's a detail from his drawing oddly enough, called, "Stump of Jesse."
We are looking at a stump from a microscopic perspective. You can see more of Michael's drawings and get a sense of how he creates his work at his web site: HERE
Through his drawings, Michael wants us to have a different view of the world. In his own words:
When you look down a binocular light microscope, your entire visual field is filled by what you see and you almost feel that you are actually in a weird micro-environment. . . . My practice melds art, science and faith. For me, there is much to explore and marvel at in the world. Therefore, my work embodies celebration of the sheer elegance of the created abundance around us.
Whether we are an ancient prophet or a prophetic artistic voice on the coast of Ireland, we can hear these two voices calling us to look at signs of life at the macro and micro level. These are signs of hope.
As I explored the concept of new life emerging from stumps I came across an Irish artist, Michael Geddis, who is looking at life at the micro level and creating art to give us a new perspective. Here's a detail from his drawing oddly enough, called, "Stump of Jesse."
We are looking at a stump from a microscopic perspective. You can see more of Michael's drawings and get a sense of how he creates his work at his web site: HERE
Through his drawings, Michael wants us to have a different view of the world. In his own words:
When you look down a binocular light microscope, your entire visual field is filled by what you see and you almost feel that you are actually in a weird micro-environment. . . . My practice melds art, science and faith. For me, there is much to explore and marvel at in the world. Therefore, my work embodies celebration of the sheer elegance of the created abundance around us.
Whether we are an ancient prophet or a prophetic artistic voice on the coast of Ireland, we can hear these two voices calling us to look at signs of life at the macro and micro level. These are signs of hope.
Our Advent Exploration question for today
is: What miraculous signs of life do you see around you?
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