One Samurai, One Body
Title: One Samurai, One Body
Date: 9/12/2021
"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." [Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV]
In the morning on 9/12/2021, I meditated on Hebrews 12:1-3 recommended by a good friend of mine, Dr. Jason Buck, as a centering prayer. And, sure enough...I got a vision. I saw people running down a trail after Jesus.
Doug Glynn, a pastor at Hope Covenant Church, delivered a message about how we were meant to be one in Jesus as we follow him, helping each other, growing in grace and living closely interwoven lives. We get into fights, like every family, but we work things out. So, my vision for the painting expanded to include two brothers helping another brother who lost a leg.
The night before, I happened to watch the last part of the Japanese film Seven Samurai with its haunting final image of four fallen Samurai buried at the top of a hill with their katanas stabbed into the heaps of dirt covering their bodies. They had sacrificed their lives to save the village of farmers from bandits. Alone, the villagers were terrified, but by following the lead of the Seven Samurai they became fearless warriors. Now our Risen Samurai stands on the mountain waving us onward. And, as we fix our eyes on our Samurai, his heart becomes our heart. Our desires and instincts change. We scoop up the wounded and carry them up the mountain.
After finishing the painting, my Aunt Patty and Uncle George--who happened to be visiting from Missouri--revealed they had friends living close by in Chandler and told me the husband happened to have one leg. Well, to me, this is an example of Jesus making us a united village. First, Jesus sets us at the top of Mount Zion in him through his death and resurrection [Ephesians 2:6 then day by day Jesus lifts us up the mountain--IN and THROUGH his BODY [Colossians 1:18]--his believers (with angels helping too of course!). So, like that village who worked as one to defeat the bandits, by fixing our eyes on our Samurai we become truly ONE!