Oceanic
Canvas 30” x 30”
Time: Approx. 1.5 hours
Date: May 28th, 2023—Pentecost Sunday
Cost: $1,500
...be filled continually with the Holy Spirit. And your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord. —Ephesians 5:18-19
Prior to the service, Doug and I pondered Ephesians 5:18-19 and the question: What is the biological equivalent of going from taking one drink of water to being filled perpetually? In the message, he spoke about Pentecost and the Holy Spirit dramatically coming ‘upon’ the believers in Jerusalem and compared this with Jesus' own baptism. After 30 minutes, I got an image of two figures dancing and went with that: The female figure represents the Holy Spirit… “descending like a dove and alighting on (Jesus),” [Matt 3:16] with his arms spread out wide to receive. But, I still wasn’t sure how to capture this “continually filled" element. I waited and listened for another 30 minutes and got the image of them dancing underwater. But, I wrestled with God thinking… 'that's too hard to paint, so I will stick with fire since that is the way the Holy Spirit appeared at Pentecost.' A minute later, as I reached for my palette, I felt drawn to cobalt and cyan blue. I realized…'ok, I guess I’m painting them under water!' Then, I added some streaks of yellow to show light filtering down from above. This is Jesus' baptism and his own Pentecost in one: he is being immersed, filled and overflowing simultaneously and continually as his terrestrial humanity moves into the oceanic.
Then I was surprised by a happy accident…the shape of the figures' arms coming together to form an eye! How perfect, since we get to actually see the Holy Spirit working behind the scenes…surging like powerful waves through Jesus. "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.” Floating free, like Jesus, we let go and see it's the Spirit–not us–moving the waves! “For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will." [Philippians 2:13]. The load is too much for anyone to shoulder. (I know, I still try daily!) Instead, we can beckon the Holy Spirit to descend on us and make us buoyant…fluid…oceanic! Joining with billions of other schooling fish thronging tightly into the very form of Christ! Come upon us Holy Spirit! Come!