Vital Link
Date: October 22nd, 2023
Canvas: 20” x 24”
Cost: $250
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman —Luke 8:40-56
A guest speaker, Jeremy Jernigan, joked about being notorious in his family for his hyper-fast walking and missing opportunities, but how walking slowly through life opens up opportunities. On the way to Jairus’ house to help his sick daughter, Jesus walked sloooowly, and on the way was moved to heal a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. Under Mosaic Law, she was considered “unclean” thus making Jesus “unclean” and unfit to do any more healing that day. He told the woman, “Your faith has healed you.” Then, news suddenly arrived that Jairus’ daughter had already died. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” Arriving at the house, Jesus touched the hand of the dead 12 year old girl (also an act which made Jesus “unclean” for 1 day). Long before, the sin and un-faith of Adam had sparked the entire chain reaction of accidents and the necessity for the Mosaic Law. But, Jesus didn't run around frantically keeping the rules–he took his time and loved people. His faith sparked a new chain reaction of miracles, fulfilling the Mosaic Law of Sin and Death, and establishing the Law of the Spirit of Life!
On the morning of the service, I went for a walk with my son. As usual, I walked too quickly, but, after catching myself getting ahead of him I decided to slow down and –BAM–out of nowhere I got the image for the painting! (coincidence?) I imagined Jairus’ faith as an activating agent of his daughter’s resurrection–literally linking Jesus to her spirit as it hovered above them. Searching for more symbols that Jesus so often hides to discover later…I now see in the figures what roughly resembles an interconnected-interdependent double helix DNA chain. Talk about life giving! To me, this is more proof that…by believing Jesus is our good and faithful savior…I…can…slow…down…
long enough so Jesus can transform what’s dead into what’s living. In the miracle helix, believing is the vital link!