Split Together
Date: May 5th, 2024
Canvas: 18” x 24”
Cost: $700
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
–Luke 6:27-28 [NIV]
Last night I had a nightmare of nuclear war, vivid and horrifying, it seemed to last for hours. I woke up looking through the eyes of fear…war…the 2024 election. So, it was jarring right then to read Doug’s text about today’s theme of loving your enemies. “No way,” I thought, “We need to get in a bunker!”
Then, after a lot of listening, praying and waiting for an image to come, I just saw Jesus humbly accepting the unjust Roman torture of the crucifixion. But, I also wanted to portray the impact of Jesus’ forgiveness on those very enemies who put him on the cross. “I have to show some real impact!” I thought. Then, I finally got the image of a Roman centurion on his left, and a member of the Sandhedrin on his right bowing in prayer.
Just a few minutes later Doug “coincidentally” started his sermon by addressing the political divide in the United States and how both sides see the other as an “enemy of freedom and democracy.” I have fallen into this trap many times myself with the accompanying heartburn and headaches! Republicans and Democrats hate each other almost as much as Jews and Romans did. Also, like 2,000 years ago, both sides get extremely uncomfortable when Jesus says, to be His followers, we must love our enemies.
So now, as I look at the picture, I see Jesus, drenched in his own blood, bound in chains, hands open to each opposing side. Then, I realize, like when the earth shook and rocks split at the crucifixion [Matt 27:5], he now points to his own blood as it cracks their sacred ground of ‘Us’–vs.–‘Them.’ So, let’s, also, let his sacrifice split open our fear-armor, so he can live through us as we love our enemies into repentance…come together…and wake up from our nightmares to see a new morning of hope!