I have a print of Marc Chagall's "Jacob Wrestling with the Angel" oil painting hanging in my den. I enjoy Chagall's work because of the bedazzling colors and the bewildering images in almost all of his paintings, etchings, and stained glass windows.
Chagall was born and raised as a Jew in a very poor village in Bellarus. He left there as a teenager to study art in St. Petersburg Russia. He left Russia after the Communist Revolution in 1917 because he was persecuted for the modernistic nature of his art. He settled in France to continue his work but ultimately moved again because of the pending Nazi occupation. A team of Americans who ran a rescue operation for European artists and intellectuals provided Chagall and his family forged visas to escape almost certain execution Chagall was one of 2,000 persons who escaped this way. (A+E Networks, 2013)
He lived safely in the United States till World War II ended. He then returned to France and peaceably lived out the remainder
of his life there. He once
said of his work: "I have always painted pictures where human love floods my colors." I wonder how he held true to this artistic and spiritual values given all of the torment, chaos, grief, and uncertainty he experienced in his life and the world around him.
I trust that God is indeed granting justice to his chosen ones, Jewish, Christian, or otherwise. It feels as if such justice is not readily observable from human points of view. Yet, millions of fans would not be able to enjoy Chagall's art had it not been for some "faithful" people who rescued him in the 1930s.
Where is the
Son of Man finding faith these days? How is humankind continuing to join God in offering justice and compassion in our neighborhoods? One of the main reasons our Hospitality Team is busily preparing a delicious meal and wonderful OctoberBlest celebration is so that we can open up our kitchen especially to neighbors, more frequently and radically. One of the reasons that we are hosting the 2nd Annual
Richard Wesp Celebration Concert on
All Saints Day, (Nov. 1) is so that we can faithfully invite ourselves to remember how integral music and the arts have been to the Saints who have guided us and healed our souls, especially during times of distress.
Shall the Son of Man find faith on the earth? Yes, through acts of devoted compassion, stubborn resistance, & moments of unexpectedly beautiful redemption.
