Peace! Be Still! Pastel & Acrylic, Mark A Hewitt. 20 June 2012
Mark 4:35-41. Jesus stills the waters from the boat with his words. Peace! Be Still! Here we see the words fused with the waters, calming the waters. We may be standing in darkness yet Jesus’ peace will flow around us.
Pentecost 4 Yr B
‘Through The Waters’, paper, silver gelatine, pencil, Mark Hewitt 1997
washing – pebbles
water that is gentle but strong enough to shape these stones,
move them, shake them, remake them.
Constant action, cleansing, washed as pebbles
washed as ‘grains of sand’ we descendants of Abraham.
Washed and make clean all over.
deliverance – waves
Imagine the waves of Boomer Beach
They come with such force you have to judge when to dive in & through the wave Jumping out of the other side taking a deep breath as you break the water’s surface Joyous at being alive. If you got it wrong you would have been dumped on the Sea floor. That’s the breaking though the water – Being delivered.
We enter into Christ’s baptism – into his dying and rising back to life.
This is coming through the waters.A deep peace can be found in the water of Christ.
Colours of blue = compassion, visualised in the cross.
reborn – pearl
Having come through the waters
We are reborn –
Pearl is an ancient symbol of rebirth
Thing of beauty coming from an oyster shell.
How does this rebirth take shape?
Imagine the grain of sand overtime layer by layer the grain of sand with its own beauty
is transformed by “mother of pearl’ where again like the pebbles on the beach
have the abrasive edges worn down and they become smooth & now rich with colour.
Washing of these waters brings healing.Past is left behind. It is not a once off.
We each have one ritual baptism But the action of it is continual.
God washes us regularly.
If we allow it, every time you sea bathe or are drenched with rain or shower
God washes & heals – Every day is a new day – we are made clean & new.
Tree of life with the water of the river of life flowing under on both banks.
Revelation 22:1-2. Mark Hewitt 2007. Pastel & Acrylic.
The garden is full of eucalyts. The tree fruits 12 times a year, the fruit being quondong (australian native fruit)
Due to parallels in the message of Jesus Christ and the Tree of Life, Christian thought over the centuries has equated the Tree of Life with the Cross of Christ and Jesus himself. The Tree of Life is eternal and brings life globally and individually, as does Jesus Christ. The Tree of Life was there at the beginning (Genesis) and is there at the end/coming age/messianic age/new world (Revelation). The Tree of Life is the source of food (life) and healing in the new world, coming age. It is a source of hope. These are all theological concepts that Christians believe Christ to be.
By its description, as a part of apocalyptic writing, the Tree of Life remains mysterious, part of a deeper truth and wisdom. The Tree of Life may be referring to Jesus or be part of a wider wisdom. As it is a part of God’s mystery I don’t think we can ever be sure and it doesn’t really matter. The image of hope and of God’s desire that humanity be healed, at peace, and with full life is consistent with the image of the Tree of Life and in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Both are congruent messages of life and of fullness to come.
The Tree of Life is one of many ways God wishes love to be shown to humanity.