As far back as our human minds could process, there was separation: darkness and light.

It was God that created that separation. 

And it was God that said the light was "Good." 

In these verses, I can imagine a total and complete darkness, nothingness, emptiness, and silence. Then a hand comes through (because I imagine in a 2-D frame, like a television) and pulls light from the opposite side of this darkness. The hand opens, and the light starts to bounce and grow! And as the arm is moving, the light is dancing and growing until the space is totally illuminated. 

Out of this intensity, something brilliant and incomparable came, and it was called "Good." 

In many passages of Scripture, light often represents life and the presence of God. Darkness is understood as the opposite: sin, death, separation from God. 

There are many conversations about man's depravity and how God offers us salvation. It's fundamentally important to understand doctrine and what we believe; however, I hope that we can all agree: we never once deserved God's favor and love. With all the wrongs we've committed (lying, angering thoughts, gossip, theft, irresponsibility, to name a few), we should never believe that we're entitled to be in Heaven and enjoy His presence.

Praise God He decided to redeem us!

Jesus Christ, perfection and holiness, came to offer Himself in our place: He made it possible for our dark souls to be filled with brilliant and beautiful light.

Through His life and only through what He did on the cross can we receive life and enter the presence of God. 

In Genesis, we read that God separated light and darkness, that He created distinction, and He called the light "Good."

In Christ, we know that God has separated us from the darkness of this world, that He made our lives and stories different from others, and He calls us "Good."

The collection, "Light & Life" celebrates God for the love and consideration He gave to redeem us from sin (the darkness). 

With these paintings, I wanted to paint that feeling of joy and celebration when a person realizes that the life-giving God has brought him or her out of darkness and into His marvelous light. These pieces harken to the story I see in my mind of God moving His hand into emptiness and pulling that growing orb through it—the environment changes into something beautiful and perfect. And what's touched by God and called "Good" will never change because He and His faithfulness and perfection never change. 

I know these words and images and concepts are ambiguous and "Sound great, but we're in the middle of a pandemic and international unrest!" So if you want to chat further about this, I'd love to listen, and if you're willing, I'd love to tell you stories of how a life with God is greater and more joy-filled than anything else in this world. Send me an email and let's chat.