Hesed

Hesed

"Did I spell it right?" I asked my seminarian daughter. She has been studying both Greek and Hebrew, the ancient languages in which the Bible was written, and she can help me out when I attempt to form the letters of these words. She helps me with understanding other parts of these languages, too. ("Is 'will' a noun or a verb in 'will we have been' in this passage?") She has chuckled at me when I got a Greek lexicon, which I am not educated enough to use, and has directed me to an app that helps me in ways I CAN understand. 

Last year, she gave me a book that I have enjoyed so much, though it took me a  l  o  n  g  time to finish reading it. The book is Inexpressible, by Michael Card. The description of this book begins with this sentence. "Hesed is a concept so rich in meaning that it doesn't translate well into any single English word or phrase." It goes on to mention that often "steadfast love" or "lovingkindness" are used to try to communicate the meaning. The most significant understanding of hesed that I came up with after reading this book is "giving someone everything who has no right to expect anything". And I find that concept absolutely beautiful. (By the way, hesed is an English transliteration of a Hebrew word.) 

22" x 30"
Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper
Ready to frame

Click here to view on my website.

This painting is difficult to 'translate' into art terms, too. For example, what would I call this composition? You might see several of the traditional compositions, if you are educated in the language of art. And which color theory would you say this subscribes to? Can you see line, texture, value, and so on? 

The idea of GOD's amazing lovingkindness, giving me everything when I have no right to expect anything, is complex and indescribable, but I have loved studying, reading, painting, and living it. In fact, you may remember that my series of small paintings called New Every Morning is based on a Bible passage that uses a term that fits here. Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." I don't have the words to explain, but I hope you see some of this meaning in this new painting.