What's in a Name?

Names have great purpose. For people, names hold expectations; for objects, designations. Artwork lies somewhere in between. In Isaiah 62:2 and Revelations 2:17 we are told that God will give us a new name from the mouth of the Lord. He will call us by what we have become through Him. Naming art holds an interesting paradigm. I want to express my view of the image without explaining it. As art is dialog between creator and viewer, it would spoil the discussion to give too much information.

I have finished the painting for Josh and Molly. A lot of time and prayer went into its creation. As the piece stands as message to couple, I want the name to be a reminder of purpose. As explained before, this is a piece about God's planning and promise. To that end I chose a name to reference the event and the application. My hope is that this piece will stand as a visual reminder of God's concern for their union.

Here is the finished work: A Path, a Promise


A Path, A Promise.

A path was made before Josh and Molly. Just talking to the two of them reveals how God pulled them together; removing obstacles of distance, family and history. God prepared their hearts and lives for the coming changes. Marriage is not an event, however; it is a process. Just as believers are the bride of Christ, the covenant of marriage is a tangible display of that love and a model of Jesus' servant heart.

Here is some more writing on the subject by Ryan Hale.

I hope they enjoy the work an much as I have.


In the "So What Comes Next?" Category:
A few ideas are floating around right now. If I keep on the Lord's "power over the waters" theme that has been so interesting to me recently, I may consider a piece showing Jesus calming the waves in Matthew 8:23-27. Continuing this last work, my wife had commented that she would like to see the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness. I think I would too.