[NO. 4 (MARK 2:5) -- CREATED IN & WRITTEN ABOUT IN MARCH 2011]
By the Light
Against ocean waves
My senses hold eroded canyons
On a nine-mile-high cliff today I see You
From different scenes all in sync
Where inspiration is under construction
Where I keep afloat the universe
Where boat never sinks boat
Where tasting sweet air and fear of heights
Footsteps explore drop-offs
Only from dark coal tunnels
White diamonds come
But only by the Light
They are recognized
Akiane's work has affected me deeply recently - especially her poetry and the descriptions of her paintings. I found By the Light after I had created this collage.
I was thinking about prayer when I began this piece - specifically in the verses about the paralytic in Mark 2:5 and Matthew 9:2. "And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Sons, your sins are forgiven." "And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven."
More than anything, I was caught by the 'their's' and 'they's' of these verses. "Seeing their faith" "And they brought to Him."
I've moved several times since I graduated from high school. I also work in a different city from where I live. The positive side of this is that I have gotten to meet and form close relationships with amazing people in different locations and I like to move around. I also do not mind the commute to work. In general, I like time alone. I like the 28 minute drive. I like leaving a larger city for a smaller one part of the week.
The negative side is trying to maintain the relationships. As much as I try to keep in touch, sometimes, I flat out fail. Bomb at it. An old friend will pop up in a dream or I'll catch a glimpse of them via facebook or wherever and I go through this process of reminiscing or joy or guilt that our relationship has changed or (sometimes all of the above). Either way, I feel like I am constantly trying to balance the relationship between community and solitude.
Meditating through this scripture, I was reminded about the absolute power of unified prayer and battling for one another.
I'll end this post with another piece of description from Akiane. Written at age 10 about her painting The Power of Prayer...
"The force of the fastest and most dedicated prayers is melting the snow off the mountains and cliffs. The more prayers, the more power. The snow in this particular painting represents confusion, hardship and unhappiness. Half of the ridges are almost free of snow, and as the birds come closer to the light, all of the landscape is becoming full of summer waterfalls and flowers."