Tuesday, February 9, 2016

The St. John's Bible-The Life of Paul


The Life of Paul, 2002
 Acts 15:1-41
 Donald Jackson in collaboration with Aidan Hurt 
and contributions from Andrew Jamieson
Scribe: Brian Simpson
Vellum, with ink, pain and gold

"Although Paul was not among the original 
twelve followers of Jesus, 
God designated him the apostle to the Gentiles, 
and he traveled as a missionary 
throughout the Near East.
 He is posed here in the manner
 of classical Greek  statues.
 A prayer shawl draped over his shoulders
 indicates his upbringing as a devout Jew. 
Surrounding him are secular
 and sacred buildings from nearly 
every historical period
 of the last two thousand years, 
symbolizing the continuation in North America
 of Christian missionary efforts.
The Stella Maris Chapel
 of Saint John's Abbey (upper right) 
signifies the Benedictines' missionary work
 in Minnesota.
Because he made several sea voyages 
and was once shipwrecked, 
Paul stands before a Greco-Roman sailing vessel. 
An energetic church builder,
 he holds a model of a church.
 It recalls Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, 
the city where he was martyred
 under the emperor Nero. 
The words at the top,
"I saw a light from heaven" (26:13), 
refer to Paul's conversion. 
Those across the bottom proclaim
 this divine mission: 
"The Lord has commanded us, saying,
I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, 
so that you may bring salvation
 to the ends of the earth." (13:47)."

Oh, Heavenly Father, 
give us the passion to see
 where your message is Light 
to someone we KNOW.
Amen.

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