On the 28th day of Lent my husband and I drove to Philly, became members of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (an early anniversary present to ourselves) and saw the Picasso exhibit. I learned a bit about “cubism” at the beginning of the 20th century. I began to understand the method behind the disjointedness; that is, through cubism, artists acknowledged, among other things, that objects/people can be observed from different perspectives at the same time.
So I come back to Jesus and the words of the Shema and realize that there are many perspectives that love of God and neighbor takes. Some days I can’t love with my mind because it just doesn’t make sense, but I can love with my heart. Some days I can’t love with my heart, but I’ll love with my soul…praying. Some days it is hard loving with the soul, but I will love with my strength…sticking it out in steady faithfulness. Love is large, and at any given moment there is room for many perspectives and ways of loving God and loving neighbor.
I step back with a cubism artist’s eye for a moment, and view the Church. Disjointed and fragmented, yes. Nevertheless, the many perspectives in the end , I hope, blend into God’s work of art, into a multifaceted love. Most of the time I get glimpses of it, but never the whole thing. I wish I could see it on canvas. Picasso, where are you?
Daisy says
I do love Picasso’s work though, if you’ve seen the movie, what a total brat he was. Disjointed and fragmented describes the Church but I have to admit that it also describes me.
Mich
Elaine Dent says
Missed the movie, Mich, and of course the museum’s headphone educational instruction left out the personality part. Your last posted art piece (Lourdes) expresses our longing for wholeness…