I made a series of ornaments recently, utilizing only supplies I had, themed around oddities and curiosities.  They were intended to be kinda Tim Burtonesque. One was definitely creepy but also compelling to me, the porcelain baby doll arm.  It’s reach downward reminded me of God’s reach to us, in the form of a baby, remembered at this time of year.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” Isaiah 9:6

There is also the longing we have, maybe not heavenward, as I don’t believe in our unredeemed hearts we actually desire God, but we desire something.  Some resolution or retribution, mercy or justice.  Something is amiss and we know it, we can’t name it and can’t affect it, but something is required.

“And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD” Haggai 2:7

And that is the beauty of Advent, the time of year the Christian Church remembers Christ’s coming in His incarnation, into our darkness.  And we are reminded of and look forward to His return as well.

Longing, unnamed desire and the most unlikely gift.

We recently moved to the city and I have been stirred to reach out to people, to learn to love my neighbors, to get involved in the life of the city.  I have been inspired by Jeremy Begbie’s “Future Hope” lecture as it relates to art making as well as to engaging in “making all things new.”  

But my real longing, my real loyalty is to another city and this piece reflects that sometimes hopeful, sometimes impatient longing for that city.  There is hope, otherwise we would give up counting the days, but as the days stretch out we can be impatient, I know I am at times.  The Psalms ask several times “How long?”  How long would the enemies prevail against God’s people?  How long would God allow suffering?  How long until they saw their desires?  

The psalms validate that longing and that question as it is asked over and over again.  Faith is total, though it doesn’t have to always answer all of our questions.  We may not have immediate answers to dilemmas that face us but we are not without assurance and hope. And so at times we wait, we look and we long.

 (Mostly) found wood, old calendars, paint.  51″ x 51″