The Sharing of Presence
Date: March 23rd, 2025
Cost: $500
Canvas: 30” x 30”
While focusing on today’s theme (‘Mary Magdalene’s view of the cross,’) an image comes to me: Jesus takes Mary’s dark cloud of sin into himself. ‘No,’ I think, ‘Mary’s already accepted Jesus’ forgiveness, so she must see much more happening in the cross.’ Hmm. A few minutes later, I get a new image: Mary Magdalene, already enjoying a divine feeling of connection with Jesus, feels like she is dying with Jesus on that very cross–deeper still, she recognizes that Jesus must die her death (die as her) in order to seal their bond. Hold on! Mary on the cross?! This is weird. But, wait…this is scriptural. Romans 6:8 says, “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
Later, Tyler, while delivering the sermon, says (coincidentally?), ‘there’s something divine about Mary Magdalene.’ Jesus offers his presence by freeing Mary from seven demons, to which she vulnerably offers her presence to Jesus. Then, through this sharing of presence, Jesus empowers Mary to shatter cultural norms that limit women by becoming a student; financially funding Jesus’ ministry; weeping at The Messiah's feet while anointing them with her valuable perfume to prepare him for death and resurrection; lamenting honestly to Jesus over Lazarus’ death– being comforted in return by Jesus’ tears of presence; becoming the first person to witness the resurrected Christ–and first to be sent by Jesus to spread the Gospel.
The swirling waves in the painting emphasize this divine mystery of shared presence–halos pulsate outward, as Mary holds space for another to share their own presence, who holds space for another, and on, and on it goes. Even though the kingdom of this world discards her like trash, Jesus empowers Mary Magdalene to live her true destiny as a grand pillar of Christ’s eternal Kingdom.