Cut out by No Human

I’m afraid I recently take more and more time to write this blog, precisely, the picture for it. Before I was just interested in one or two person in the Bible, but now a certain size of the world out of the Scripture attracts me. So I have to draw a group of people, or a wide background. I draw every picture little by little every other day.

So today. In the Bible class we are now learning the Book of Daniel, which I found much interesting.
Daniel was a Jew who lived in the era of Babylonian Capture, where he had been taken away. He was given by his God so great a wisdom, that he served to the king of Babylon.

This Book, rather short, and at a glance with the story rather fantastic and heroic, implies indeed so many things to discuss to think about our lives as Christiens.

Today’s picture and the discussion for it might be just out of my curiosity, I’m afraid…

It was inspired by the chapter 2, in which the king of Babylon had the same strange dream for many nights. Daniel made the meaning of his dream clear.

In the dream the king saw a large statue, the head of which was made of gold, the upper body was of silver, and other parts were of bronze, iron, and clay.
Then a stone, which was cut out of a mountain by no human hands, struck the statue and crushed every material into dusts.

Daniel explained the golden part of the statue meant Babylon, and bound every other part with different material to a different country. And he told the stone cut out by no human meant the kingdom of the Highest Existence, Who would destroy all human empires.

The lands shown by such materials were, for example, Babylonia, Medea, Persia, Macedonia…I could not get, however, imagine how were such lands at that era.

Now instead, I’ll try to explain the statue along with our modern world, which dominate the world but would be at last replaced by the Kingdom of God.

Gold – the most active way of prosperity, namely, money trading!
Silver – rather substancial trading, namely, merchandizing real products.
Bronze – this might night be a straight explanation, but – how about a electricity, enabled by copper?
Iron – sorry to tell it, but it must be armed forces.
Clay – it might be challenging, too – but how about ceramics, which eventually would mean semiconductor?

So I don’t have to draw the statue so that it stands in a particular city, but in a typical modern environment!

Please don’t tell that it’s like an Anpan-man!

But there is a high mountain at his back, from which a large piece of stone was cut out and fell down straight!

How do you imagine this stone was formed? My idea is quite in a regular form with sharp edges. For this cutting-out process will suffer no human errors!

Such a perfect piece of stone is now close to the head of the modern statue….

Now keep awake and watch it out.

Pontius Pilate

Recently I’m much interested in Pontius Pilate, who were in charge of judging Jesus accused by people.
As well known, he claimed to the people for many times, that he found nothing guilty in Jesus. But they strongly demanded the death sentence for Him.
Pilate also asked Him to know what kind of man He was, though He did not give a single word to defend Himself.
At last he accepted the people’s demand and permitted His execution.

As I was reading the Bible just as an ancient story, I was so sorry that Pilate gave up covering Jesus. But now I found it was impossible from the beginning. It was the plan of His Father, and even of Himself, that He was to die, because it was the only way to cleanse the sin of all people in the world.
It was not limited to Judas Iscariot, Pharisees, or Jews that hanged Him to the cross. It is all of us, that even now crying out for His death.

(I must explain the above all is my aspect as one who believe Jesus as my savior. Who doesn’t believe that would think differently)

I think he gave Him up because he was scared. What scared him? To lose his position as the Prefect? To lose control of people under him?
I think his fear was a very pure emotional one, against the people, who were ethnically foreign to him. Or the enormously united hate of such people against a single man, who was gently-looked and silent.
I further imagine that Pilate might have been aware of the Holiness in the Man he faced to. But he was not so faithful as to follow Him on way to the Cross.

So I drew this picture.

The way to the Cross was also the way to Heaven. In the court of Pilate, our Lord( with a stingy red crown on his head and wearing a purple garment) start to go up to His Heaven.
Pilate was trying to hold His hand. He must have wanted to be pulled up together with Him. But he could not sustain himself and soon he is to loosen his hand, falling down to the blood red ground.
On the ground there were lots of greedy mouths, crying out for the blood of the Innocent. They are not individual, but aggregates of malicious feelings held by human being.

Debates

Still I am attracted with The Gospel of John, though I should not fix myself on only a limited part in this great amount of Scripture…what caught me so fast is an energy coming from many debates with Jesus, our Lord, and people.

Jesus asks them (namely, us) strongly to accept him to get their eternal lives. Some of the people followed Him, but many others don’t understand, but oppose to Him.
This opposition, however, I regard as another way of people to ask Him. They really want a Messiah, but are not yet sure where the Man in front of them are the true one, because He showed them so new Ideas as even to seem shocking. Their heart accepts Him, but their minds fear Him.

So I drew a scene of such a debate, at first, between a single man and the Lord.

Of the two the left is Jesus. He leans forward and pull His arms for the other, as if He were to embrace him.

On the other hand, the man shrink himself a bit, due to a fear and worry. He grabs his hands and fix it on his chest, because he is struggling with his true wish to hold them toward Him, too. His back stays backward, but his face and feet are set forward. He will not simply leave Him.

Setting the two at the center, I completed the picture:

With the arguing man there are others. All stiffen their limbs. Two of them asking to each other, what they shall do.
Setting the two at the center, I completed the picture:

With the Lord, there are the followers. Behold, their shoulders are no more raised. They are relaxed, their palms are open. They obviously lean towards Whom they follow.
And I painted with them pastel colors, in contrast to strong colors for the debaters.

As is written in the Gospel, there are also many who did leave Him. They look disappointed, with which I mean, they wanted the Messiah of their own idea, which didn’t go along with the Savor of the world.

And the authorities who seeks the chance to arrest Jesus. I always paint the Lord in black, which is for me the most distinct color. According to that rule the authorities shall wear gray color, which is not black nor white. Namely, they live on their ambiguous justice.

No one of those category means any evil, I think. All of them are given their role to play from the Father in heaven. Once thing with which I’m recently convinced is “God always wants to have things to do with each of us.”

The Open Vision

At the last Sunday Meeting, our pastor talked about the vision that God showed Jeremiah. After the destruction of Jerusalem, grass would grow there and there would be a meadow again, sheep would come back and guided by a new shepherd.

“We may call it an open vision.”

As the paster remarked the word for the first time, I did not fully understand what it really was. But he continued:

“Don’t you think you are given only a closed vision? You might think your sin is so bad that you cannot face to God, or your prayer would not be heard by Him, or your way of life is at the dead end… call him from the ruin where you are left, so He will open for you the great vision”

His words then reminded me of the pigs which rushed into the sea in Decapolis. They possibly could see only a closed vision of the sea of the dark water.
If they had been given an open vision, they would have found that the sea was only a small pool and there was a lot of space to go around the water to follow their guide!

We sometimes feel as if we were at the definite consequence and there were no logical workaround. But God may possibly open us a vision beyond it, and the vision might be what we could never derived to with our humble logic.

Come and See!

Recently I read the Gospel of John repeatedly.
It’s quite characteristic in many points compared to the other three Gospels.

I suggest today, that in this Gospel many people following Jesus by their own will – really physically coming after Him – are illustrated.
It’s in a good contrast to Mathew’s description that Jesus called most of disciples.

Today I gathered such people who went after Jesus, saying “Behold!” “We’ve found Him!” “Come and see!” etc.

The two ahead are Andrew and his brother Simon Peter. Andrew went to his brother and said “We have found the Messiah!”, then brought him to Jesus.

One pushes the other not willing to go – this is Philip and Nathanael. Philip was called by Jesus, but he dropped in to see Nathanael and told him “We have found Him, He’s Jesus of Nazareth!”. Nathanael was skeptical whether anything good could come out of Nazareth. So Philip told him “Come and see!” and took him to Jesus.

The red one in front is a woman, the Samaritan woman. After she spoke with Jesus, she returned to her people and told “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did!” So many Samaritans went to see Him.

The rest three people at the back is John the Baptist and his two disciples. When John saw Jesus walking, he told them “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Then the two went after Jesus.
The gray one, who remains standing is John. He is completing his mission – leading people to Jesus – and fading into the dark.

By the rivers of Babylon

Let me write more about the people I met in the church, who talked about their stressful workplaces.
Though they are teachers as occupations, they are so busy with staff meetings and office works, that they have no time to take care of their pupils…

Then I told them, “I imagine you might feel like you’re in the Babylonian exile,”

They bursted into laughter. “Indeed!”

My imagination came from the phrase in Psalm 137:1.

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.

When one is taken apart from what he really like to do and left in an unfamiliar environment, he may feel like the above phrase.

In today’s picture I did not draw the other side of the river, which might be seen in the eyes of those who are depressed.

But this historical incident of the Babylonian exile is regarded as an essential turning point of the belief among the people of Israel. They asked to themselves so deeply what their belief should be and how they should return to God. It is even said that but for the exile, the Bible of today might not have been compiled.

I myself is in the presence so blessed that I can manage as a writer, which I love to be so much.
But how do I know, that I could carry this job on as long as I live?
Nevertheless, I will not fear, some day I might have no choice but change to less interesting job. Because it might be a chance for those who in such unwanted working status to consider about what their lives really should be.

To the Wall

I am still so busy. But I’m so happy, because all things that make me busy are just what I want to do. Work,study and devotion to the church. I’m busy because I don’t want to miss any of them.

But people who work outside for this or that organisations must be far busier with so much extra tasks other than what they really want to do!

Many of people in our church are teachers, especially of elementary schools. Recently they revealed how many staff meetings, and documents to write, weigh on them and deprive them of hours to communicate with their pupils.
“We have to drive the children out of the school due to our own schedules, that’s crazy,” said one of them. “I wonder what my work really shall be.”
“And I’m so sad I forget even everyday’s prayer. I made a plan for this year, that I should have a time for prayer in the morning and the evening every day, but I can’t possibly follow it.”

And then we reminded us of one of our people, who retired from some a company producing something ( and now working elsewhere). His office was also always in a mess. Especially there was a time that his company must get certified for ISO something, and most of their working hours were spared for preparing the documents to submit, rather than making products.

At that time, according to our pastor who knows him very well, he often stood alone towards the wall of the office, and made a prayer silently.
“I imagine him standing there, while others arguing or coming and going hasty, which saves my heart when I myself am busy in daily activities” so told us the pastor the other day.

I, who am working at home, can spare any time for a prayer, that might rather easily break the plan for it. Therefore I will also keep the scene in my mind.

A Coin in the Fish’s Mouth

Recently told an aged gentleman, who is a retired pastor, made a speech in the church, as he often does. His speech is always such that will make us relax. “Take it easy in believing God! The faster you run, the sooner and harder you will hit yourself at the wall.”

On that day he told about the episode in the Chapter 17 of Matthew’s Gospel:

Peter was asked by the collector of temple tax, whether his teacher paid it or not.
He answered that he did.
When Peter got home, his teacher Jesus told him to go catch fish, so he would find one holding a coin in its mouth.

“Indeed the collector had intended to annoy Peter and his teacher, knowing they could not afford for the tax,” told the retired pastor.
“That made Peter angry, and he boasted that his teacher did, though he did not in fact.”

“Soon he regretted his brag. He wanted to manage the tax by himself, but found no way. So he went where his teacher and colleagues resided, worried and depressed.”

“Jesus had known what happened to Peter before he came home, and He told about the fish holding a coin – it must be a joke of Him” he told. I was surprised, because I took the story as it told another miracle made by Jesus. But the ex-pastor explained it just as a joke.

“I imagine that, the other disciples laughed at the joke, which cheered Peter up. Thus I love the story very much.”

Ah, I loved his explanation too, more than my former idea of miracle. I think the ex-pastor aimed to tell us, “Ask God not for easy material aid, but for encouragement.”

On my Fiftieth Birthday

Today, June 15th, is my 50th birthday, which I enjoy so much like a child.
People(especially Japanese) take it strange that I am so happy to be 50. “Don’t you want to hide your age, for you are a woman?” – so they ask me.
Oh, I enjoy to be a 50-year-old person, not a woman nor a man. Or I’m both. Namely, I enjoy both male and female way of thinking.

Ancient Samurai assumed the life as 50 years long.
So my life from today is an extra.
Or I’m as new as a baby bird.

A very new baby bird is, however, not so cute until it is brought up to be a “chick,” which wears soft feathers and sings cheap cheap.
A baby bird just after getting out of the egg is naked, with somewhat eerie colors, and its head and belly are abnormally big. It cannot live a day without its parent.

I also look like it, far from fancy, nevertheless I enjoy the day so much.

Pig and Human

In the area named Decapolis, Jesus drove out a group of “evil spirits” from a man into a school of pigs. Then the pigs stampeded to be drowned in the lake, whereas the man was restored. This episode is narrated in , for example, Mark 5:5.

Before I felt sorry for the innocent pigs, every time I read this episode. But recently it seems that it would tell us more important things than to regret in details of the story.

What is an evil spirit? Our church often teaches us not to take is as a human will that stood against God. It suggests us it should be a symbol for many misfortunes, like physical or mental diseases.

I think an evil spirit might be “a status or a property shorting of the Holy spirit”, like “a positive hole is the area left after an electron moved away.”

The pigs, into which it is described as the demons entered, should be from my aspect those from which the Holy spirit left. Then they immediately lost control and ran into death.

On the contrary, the man, who had been occupied with demons, i.e. lacking of the Holy spirit, had not gone dead but struggled for God for a long time until he met with Jesus.

I think this be what human being is blessed with. We could ask for God when we lose Him, where as pigs have no way to return to Him. At this point I feel very sorry for the pigs in this episode now.

Then today’s picture.
I drew a pig just running away and a man, in contrast to it, crouching on the ground, pulling out his arms and scratching the earth. He is struggling with his instinct, that he’d like to simply run into death like an animal.

Soon after I painted the pig in pink, I changed my mind to follow the rule I explained the previous blog: paint it in the color pattern of the chaos, RGB.

The Nature in the background should be painted in natural colors, because it is balanced (at least at that time far more than now) .

And here comes the hand of Jesus to heal him…

Well, how should I paint the man and the holy Hand?

My Idea is white(r=g=b=1) and black(r=g=b=0) are two fundamental states prepared by God to create every color(i.e. property) in the world.
From the above aspect, the man is not into chaos, represented by the complete separation among rgb, but everything should be vague. So I painted him in gray colors in various brightness.

And the Hand has a complete order with white and black.

Behold, what an impact the Hand has! Indeed the combination of pure white and black would be symbolize physical and mental state in the complete order.

Soon after that, however, the picture seemed to me no good.
The Hand might be too magnificent. Our Jesus might be humbler, being close to us. “He is a powerless God, precisely, He made Himself powerless to be with us” so tells our paster every time, “That’s what we Christians should be proud of”

So I corrected the picture so that His hand be much smaller and yet far from – but surely approaching to – him.

May God take all poor pigs up to His kingdom.