By Phil Wood
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
In Parts 1 through 5 of this series, I have tried to paint a word picture of the Kingdom of God. I'm sure I used close to a thousand words in every installment. But you know what they say about how many words a picture is worth. So today, I'd like to let a picture do the talking, at least for a few moments.
The painting below is by Fr. Sieger Köder. Köder (1925-2015) was a German-born Catholic priest and a really interesting character. His life experience included being a prisoner of war during WWII, and he was a participant in the Catholic Neudeutchshland movement. You can google that, but the movement basically contested the legitimacy of the German state and set up its own little kingdom!
Now, I know some of you may not be crazy about Köder's artistic style (heavily influenced by early modernist, Marc Chagall), but if you would humor me for a while, I would like you to take three to five minutes just contemplating this painting. This is a spiritual practice known as visio divina.
I'll tell you below what I see in this painting but, before you read on, I'm inviting you to jot down your own impressions first. What is going on in this painting? What details do you notice? What may be inferred but not seen? What do you read in the faces of the people? What might God be saying to you, personally, through this work of art?
Done? If you've taken this exercise seriously and would like to share what you saw here, I would love to hear from you. Who knows, your thoughts might even get incorporated into a future devotional! Meanwhile, here are my thoughts.
I see a wonderful depiction of the Kingdom of God, a kingdom where amazing abundance flows from the hands of the risen King and is available to anybody – literally anybody who wants it. I cannot envision a more inclusive kingdom than what is depicted here.
At our Lord's left hand, I see a woman who has longed for this her entire life and, now that she's found it, is not about to let it go.
I see faces of people who have lived difficult, perhaps even tormented lives and probably have carried heavy loads up to this point. Oh, the stories they could tell.
I see almost every pair of eyes looking upward. I believe the artist intended us to know their eyes are fixed on the face of Christ. We know it's up there somewhere, but it's not shown. Or is it? Is that the face of Jesus reflected in the cup of wine? Köder is famous for that, showing the face of Christ reflected; in the bowl of water as Jesus washes Peter's feet; in the water at the bottom of the well as the Samaritan woman encounters Jesus above.
Köder's paintings were not just graphic interpretations, but sermons, paintings with a message. In an article in Thinking Faith, an online Journal of the Jesuits in Britain, Gemma Simmonds CJ said Köder's "distinctive painting was an expression of his pastoral ministry and his commitment to the social gospel."
I believe Köder's social gospel is the good news of the Kingdom of God made available through the love of Jesus Christ, his followers loving one another and ministering to one another with their eyes fixed on Jesus.
One pair of eyes not fixed on Jesus at the moment captured in this painting, is that of the Nigerian in blue in the lower right corner. When I look at him, I see a man who has been rescued from a life of pain (his blue pajamas, I'm told, represent those worn by Jews in the German concentration camps). I see he is partaking of the wine that has been offered by Christ. His lips are red with it. He is at peace now, full of gratitude. He is looking outward, he is filled with the Spirit, and he is saying, "Okay, let's take this thing to the world."
In this final installment of my series on the Kingdom of God, this is the message I hope to impart. Yes, we the poor in spirit, we who mourn, we who are meek, and who hunger and thirst for righteousness, we are blessed! Ours is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5: 3-10) But let's not just soak it in.
We are also the light of the world. We have to let it shine. Having Jesus in our hearts gives us inner peace in these difficult times, and not much is better than that. But if others don't see where our eyes are fixed, if our lives don't point to Jesus, then how will others see him? Why would they even care to seek his face? How will our land be healed?
We have a workshop coming up on October 17. It's about living the kingdom life. I hope to see everyone there. Also, the EPC Adult Sunday School Class which meets by Zoom every Sunday morning at 9:30 has just started a new study with the aim of learning how we, like Daniel (of the Old Testament) and like Jesus, "can become people of influence who stand out because of the way we relate to others, serve those in need with a willing spirit, and reflect the lovingkindness of a good God." We would love to have you join us.
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to establish your kingdom. Give us the wisdom and strength to live as he taught us to live. And give us boldness to let your light shine through us, so that others will see, and you will be glorified. In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
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