The first time the term Christian (which literally means “Christ Ones”) was used in describing followers of Jesus Christ was in Antioch, Syria (Acts 11:26).
Prior to this time, followers of Jesus Christ were simply known as “people of the Way” (Acts 9:2, 24:14) in reference to their lifestyle, i.e., the way of life they lived. In other words, it was their lifestyle that identified them as being followers of Jesus Christ, not their words.
The featured image above, is the product of an art class assignment. The assignment was to construct a collage by cutting up various pieces of prior art that I had done for the class. I took one of my favorite artist, Norman Rockwell’s self-portrait piece as inspiration.
I’ve titled my collage “Distractions along the Way. It is a self-reflection of the spiritual journey through life. The left side represents various distractions this world offers each of us. The right side represents three stages of the spiritual life. I will offer a basic reading then conclude with thoughts pulled from other sources.
- Eaten Apple – succumbing to worldly temptations
- Head in a fishbowl – cannot escape the world and all it holds
- Book titles/symbology – 7: Seven deadly sins, Superman: male super-ego, Licit/Illicit (Addictive) Drugs: Caffeine, Tobacco, Salt, Alcohol, Marijuana, Cocaine, LSD, etc. Dictionary/Music: ie. false words. Money: as a root of evil.
- Sailor cap: join the Navy and see “the world.”
- TV/Computer: the world’s reach into your home, at our fingertips.
- Thought Bubble: corruptions of heart and mind (the flesh/ego)
- Demon: Evil in “the world.”
- Skeleton: the world’s (mis) representation of one’s true self.
Three commonly described stages of the spiritual life: Purgative, Illuminative, and Unitive.
- Encircled Dove – Representative of the Triune Godhead
- Icon of Christ – True Man/True God, Image of self-reference or formation
When I reflect through various choices I’ve made through life, I find both ignorant foolishness and fortunate wisdom. I suppose this is life. I leave with the words of Julian of Norwich.
“First we must fall, and then we recover from that fall – and both are the mercy of God.”
“Your God would never punish you for being a human being: this life itself is your penance, she reminds you. But it is also more than that: it is a crucible for transformation. Each trial, every loss, is an opportunity for you to meet suffering with love and make it an offering, a prayer. The minute you lift your pain like a candle, darkness vanishes and mercy comes rushing in to heal you.“
As we continue our journey “along the Way,” please accept my encouragement.
