“I love borders. I place them in my artwork so that I can break them… The wheat grows beyond the border of life; the wheat brings forth a standard of daring love. ‘Those who love their life lose it’ (John 12:25). The wheat breaks the border, it dances with the voice of God, it is not cautious, it is not scarce. It is love.”
— from the artist statement for “Drawn to Love” by Hannah Garrity | @sanctifiedart
“As crucifixion nears, Jesus gives his remaining disciples a commandment related to the time they’ve spent together. They’re to love one another as Jesus has loved them… How did Jesus love them? They’ll have to draw from their encounters. The acts of love and healing, the teaching, the signs and wonders—all of it needs to…
“’A MAN WAS LYNCHED YESTERDAY’ These words were stitched onto a flag that flew outside the Manhattan headquarters of the NAACP between 1920 and 1938. When a Black person was lynched, the flag was raised the following day… You should understand that what happened to Jesus was a lynching. …Do not look away and do…
“God of justice, you flipped tables in the temple, and then immediately spoke to people who were eager to listen. We seem to only be able to do one or the other—we can be prophetic or pastoral. We can be angry or be gentle. We can speak or listen. Help us to hold both at…
“Consider those first few days after you’ve lost someone and the liminality between their death and funeral. There’s no closure yet, and mornings are reminders that the nightmare is real. It’s hard to imagine how you’ll face the day. … Again and again, the sun rises on a new day, often without embrace or acknowledgment….
“Gracious God, you see me when I am down, and you invite me to tell you about it. You ask me, ‘What is your name?’ And in that moment, I can respond with the lies that cover me, or I can respond, ‘I am a child of God.’ No matter what I say, I know…
“If there is one truth in my lifeThat unfolds again and again,It is the need to listen. For again and again, I will try, with good intentions,To act and walk with love.But again and again, I will make mistakes.Again and again, I will say the wrong thing.Again and again, they will call me Peter,And again…
