Divided and Distracted

Divided and Distracted

Australian Sky Blue by Matisse is one of my favorite paint colors. I had a large tube of it that was nearly empty, so I started this canvas with that color. I couldn’t seem to come up with a theme, composition, or color choice today, so I decided to just start and see where it went. I decided on a muted orange-yellow to play complement to the purplish blue, so that came next. The result was very unsatisfying, so I started doing this and then that to try to fix it.

20" x 24"

Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on deep gallery wrapped canvas

Ready to hang

All day today I have been a bit distracted with the deep divisions being expressed in our country YET AGAIN. Social media, educators, athletes, the President, my Christian brothers and sisters,  Gen Xers… everyone is shouting and no one is listening. We are all taking our stands and throwing memes, videos, and proclamations at each other. EVERY topic has the two sides, yours and mine.

Here is what bothers me most in it all. We are fighting our proud battles over things that do not matter in light of eternity. Oh, believe me, they are important things! They will influence how people live now and in the near future in our country and others. They encompass freedom and honor and truth and decency.  They have historical and global significance. But not eternal.

And what does have eternal significance? How about the likelihood that our shouting will cause people to turn their backs on Jesus Christ – the only hope for eternity? How about the fact that, as we posture, people are dying of starvation, war, drug abuse and abortion? How about the chance that our friend will never ask us about Jesus because we are on the Other Team?

I don’t have the solution, Heaven help me, but I plan to start small. I will be kind, and I will choose to not be as easily offended. I will support efforts to save lives and send help to the storm ravaged. I will ask questions, and listen to the answers. I will be ready to share the only Hope for eternity – Jesus.

Matthew 5:16 (HCSB) "In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

So this painting has energy and frustration and passion. Does it express my thoughts today? It does to me.