The Meaning of the Miraculous For many Centuries man has acknowledged the miraculous. In the weeks to come the Jewish community celebrates their deliverance from Egypt and the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land. [1.] A dialogue set in a meals has all generations together consider the preservation of their people that could only be seen as a work of G-d. Previous generations always saw G-d, or some miraculous force as Creator. The Patriarchs saw Him as Provider and Deliverer! The relatively recent concept of Evolution (Charles Darwin in the Nineteenth Century) has created a philosophy of Naturalism that either outright rejects or quietly diminishes the Theistic explanation.
I once attended an Easter service at a large church in Richmond. The minister asserted that the Resurrection was not important! I don't remember anything else he said. I was astonished because Christ's Resurrection would seem to be a cornerstone of Christianity. Many voices today denounce Faith. They may not directly denounce it, but in the academy it is the subject of "open discourse" such as that experienced by Ryan Rotella at FAU [click to read]. Rotella was asked to leave a class. His "offense" was refusing to participate in an excercise where students were required to "stamp on Jesus."Dennis Prager [click to read] has more details. Though the school ultimately apologized to Rotella, it justified its so-called "open discourse" in doing so.
Running from the Resurrection
In fact, among many in academia today you are likely to hear some variation of the following: "There are other reasons why I consider Christianity to be an
ill-chosen creed, such as the morals actually taught in the Bible,
many of which are abhorrent to a compassionate and just man, or other
details of its theology which run counter to observable facts." writes atheist
Richard Carrier in introduction to his argument against Jesus' resurrection from the dead.
Here in his introduction, Carrier gives what I believe is his real reason for being
uncomfortable with a physical resurrection. A G-d who can so control
the laws of nature can ask 'unreasonable' things of us as well. A
'Compassionate and Just Man,' in Carrier's world can support abortion
on demand because it is not 'abhorrent' to his viewpoint that abortion
is a kind response to the needs of women with unplanned pregnancies. The beating heart of the unborn child need not be seen here as an 'observable fact.'
Likewise, the 'restrictive' definition of marriage as a relationship
defined by Scripture in specific terms may be viewed as archaic and
discriminatory.If G-d didn't design it, He cannot write the specifications.
The elimination of Christianity as an authoritative source allows us
to personalize moral decisions. In a culture that elevates
self-actualization, this is virtue. It spares us the heavy lifting
required to weigh moral absolutes with human frailty.
Jesus, meeting a Samaritan woman at a well, is a prime example of what
I mean by this heavy lifting. Balancing compassion for the woman with his observation that
she has not been a faithful wife, Jesus creates a constructive
dialogue. He does not condemn her, nor does He overlook the complexity
she has created in her relationships. He speaks truth and ultimately
the dialogue that results sets her free. Here Absolute Love and Absolute Truth are in no way mutually exclusive. In the end her search for 'Living Water' trumps her desire to live as she pleases. [2.]
A G-d who can part the Red Sea, Create worlds and has power over death is pretty much to be respected. A G-d who changes human lives in intimate communion with his Creation is amazing.
Before Jesus appeared, the concept of Resurrection is found in Scripture. Sometimes it is very clear and other times it is a logical assumption consistent with the text.
Resurrection Foretold
And he made his grave
with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no
violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord
to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He
shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear
their iniquities. Therefore
will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the
spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death:
and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors." -- Isaiah 53:9-12 The famous Messianic text above talks of triumph after death. Other texts that may be seen as prophetic of Resurrection are: Genesis 3:15, Psalm 2:7, Psalm 16:9-11, Psalm 22:14-25, Psalm 30:29, Psalm 40:13, Psalm 110:1, Psalm 118:21-24, Hosea 5:15-6:3, Zechariah 12:10.
Resurrection Documented and Verified
I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by
better, fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair
inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died,
and rose again from the dead." says Dr. Thomas Arnold, formerly Professor of History at Rugby and Oxford Universities. Simon Greenleaf, one of the most skilled legal minds ever produced in this nation, top
authority on the question of what constitutes sound evidence, developer
of the Harvard Law School, after a thorough evaluation of the four
Gospel accounts from the point of view of their validity as objective
testimonial evidence, concluded:
It was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming
the truths they had narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the
dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any
other fact." [3.]Dr. Henry M. Morris PhD writes more onThe Importance of the Resurrection [click to read]. His point is that the foundational truth of the Christian faith has plenty of evidence to support it.
A G-d who can part the Red Sea, Create worlds and has power over death
is pretty much to be respected. A G-d who changes human lives in
intimate communion with his Creation is amazing.
West concluded the meeting saying “You must think it over. We must know that this is something you do of your OWN volition. We have reached out to those who might be your fellow crewmen. Of course, they and you are sworn to secrecy. Just think, if the news media in the ‘Lower 48’ get a hold of this, they’ll start making all sorts of statements and demands. You know how they love to paint the Alaska Republic as a ‘cold and uncaring’ entity. Even though APOLLONIUS destroyed his own colony, they’ll make us the villains. They’ll accuse us of marooning the settlers there. There will be any number of ‘conspiracy theories.’”
I… must pray, and let you know then.”
In the days that followed, Josiah Zimmerman sought the continued counsel of Greene and Ben-Gurion, who for their part, happily gave him all the time he needed. Of course, he wanted the adventure, and the purpose of the mission. What would his parents think? What about his fiancé, Adila? He understood the secrecy and its necessity, but he didn’t even know who he was crewing with. In the Twenty-first Century such commitment to the unknown was rare to ask of anyone. It was something out of another time. So Josiah Zimmerman screwed up his nerve and sought out Dr. Greene, spilling his fears and concerns. The good doctor said little, but said he’d arrange a meeting soon to help him through this.
A week or so later, Greene sent a message that Josiah should come to the chapel office that afternoon at 2:00pm, Big Diomede Time. The young man arrived freshly showered and somewhat out of breath. He was surprised to see his parents and Adila there! With them were Sarah and Abiyah Ben-Gurion and their son Adam. “We are the first three people to set foot on Mars.” Abiyah said, and he went on to explain that Greene was not going to be there as he had a granddaughter’s dance recital to go to that afternoon. “Besides, he told me he’s pretty much out of advice for you anyway. He WILL be present to counsel you about another step you might take in life – one that I think will come up in the discussion this afternoon.”
Ben-Gurion continued “I’ve invited Adila’s parents to this meeting as well. I think you know Sarah and my story. The secret marriage and all – and you know how Adam was already with us when we set foot on Mars. Sarah touched the planet slightly before me, but that is for the historians to sort out. In the Guiness Book of World Records, we’re tied at the moment. Since Adila is fluent in five languages and aerospace studies as well, she was also a logical choice for this mission.”
Since our mission,” Sarah chimed in, “Mission Control has written stricter policies about things such as our ‘secret marriage,’ if you get my drift. But, since you have already made it quite clear that you are committed to each other, we just want to make sure you know that you need not decide without the benefit of blessing. And we sure do not want you deciding in the dark without input from those who love you.”
Adila spoke next: “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” – the words of Ruth to Naomi, but also much referenced in marital loyalty as well.
The two of them would follow in the footsteps of Abiyah and Sarah. They set to work planning their wedding.
(to be continued)[read more]
Pictures of Redemption
Stations of the Cross for Children
“Pieta” of Jesus and Mary Painted by Vincent Van Gogh in 1890.
Christ alone, of all the philosophers, magicians, etc., has affirmed eternal life as the most important certainty, the infinity of time, the futility of death, the necessity and purpose of serenity and devotion. He lived serenely, as an artist greater than all other artists, scorning marble and clay and paint, working in the living flesh. In other words, this peerless artist, scarcely conceivable with the blunt instrument of our modern, nervous and obtuse brains, made neither statues nor paintings nor books. He maintained in no uncertain terms that he made…living men, immortals.” – Vincent van Gogh in a Letter to Emil Bernard on June 26,1988.
I went with my oldest granddaughter to Stations of the Cross for Children at St. Francis’s Church in Staunton. I’d forgotten the richness of a simple retelling of Christ’s Passion with fourteen visual images. Young people took turns reading the narrative which shows the extent of Jesus’ suffering for our redemption proceeding from bas-relief image to image around the sanctuary. The Gospel account becomes visual and one can imagine the pain and sacrifice beginning with Jesus’ condemnation and ending with his burial. It is a fitting prelude to the great mystery of Resurrection celebrated at Easter.
First Station: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me." He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
(Matthew 26:36-41)
Second Station: Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested
Then, while [Jesus] was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. His betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying, "the man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and lead him away securely." He came and immediately went over to him and said, "Rabbi." And he kissed him. At this they laid hands on him and arrested him.
(Mark 14: 43-46)
Third Station: Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us," but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth."
(Luke 22: 66-71)
Fourth Station: Jesus is Denied by Peter
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the maids came over to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about!" As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazorean." Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!" A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; even your speech gives you away." At that he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately a cock crowed. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: "Before the cock crows you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly.
(Matthew 26: 69-75)
Fifth Station: Jesus is Judged by Pilate
The chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so." The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate questioned him, "Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of." Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.... Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barrabas... [and] handed [Jesus] over to be crucified.
(Mark 15: 1-5, 15)
Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said,"Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck him repeatedly.
(John 19: 1-3)
Seventh Station: Jesus Bears the Cross
When the chief priests and the guards saw [Jesus] they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him." ... They cried out, "Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.
(John 19: 6, 15-17)
Eighth Station: Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross
They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
(Mark 15: 21)
Ninth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that time, people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?"
(Luke 23: 27-31)
Tenth Station: Jesus is Crucified
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. [Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."]
(Luke 23: 33-34)
Eleventh Station: Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
(Luke 23: 39-43)
Twelfth Station: Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
John 19: 25-27
Thirteenth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last.
(Luke 23: 44-46)
Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it [in] clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.
(Matthew 27: 57-60)
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, your passion and death is the sacrifice that unites earth and heaven and reconciles all people to you. May we who have faithfully reflected on these mysteries follow in your steps and so come to share your glory in heaven where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
A Capital Vision III
Harry Weese's Metro Design
Brookfield Properties.
The Bethesda Metro Station story is apparently far from over. Brookfield Properties, who own the plaza with the fountain, want to put a high-rise building on the site occupied by the fountain. Clark Properties, who own neighboring buildings, are concerned that the new building will cut off light and views to their adjoining buildings. Thus a new urban park has become part of the negotiations process. The proposal calls for a substantially greener plaza or park above the station as shown above. Here the escalator really rises into a park as Harry Weese originally envisioned it doing.
If Washington is beautiful as a Classical city, her suburbs are wild and untamed – a product of the Mid-Twentieth Century boom that created today’s megacity. Bethesda and Silver Spring are largely paved over at their centers and cry out for some public green space, even as her developers strive to get more out of her valuable commercial land.
A friend of mine introduced me to the work of San Francisco muralist Mona Caron, who’s work seems uniquely suited for installations in Washington’s sprawling urban overflow. Her work tells a story and like a good Frederic Church painting, contains many subtle details you have to look for.
It is not too unrealistic to envision a new Brookfield building with a mural taking enormous flowers up its side – rising from a true greenspace inserted into the heart of Urban Bethesda.
Mona Caron's Mural Outgrowing in Kaohsiung, Taiwan...
...rises for the entire height of an urban skyscraper.
Mona Caron paints an enormous blossom.
Mona Caron's work frequently juxtaposes natural scenes with urban fabric...
...and would provide a contrasting narrative in Washington's concrete suburbs.
Mona Caron's unique approach...
...to the ubiquitous utility box.
Vincent Van Gogh, The Story
Transformation
A powerful scene alludes to an even more powerful reality.
The Doctor:Between you and me, in a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?
Curator:Well... um... big question, but, to me Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all. Certainly the most popular, great painter of all time. The most beloved, his command of colour most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world, no one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived.
***** And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
-- Revelation 21:3-5
Worldview is everything. In Christ we have the one who actually transforms the pain and torment of this life into something beautiful. Here is a great truth that is beyond our understanding, yet the Divine Himself is the Master who completes the tapestries of our lives… inverting them to reveal His beautiful hand. This is a beautiful story, but may I suggest that it is beautiful because we yearn for what the Doctor and Amy were able to show Vincent and it is beautiful because Christ promises to show us the same. From C. S. Lewis and George MacDonald we learn that great story conveys great truth. Lewis shows us that those longings in us that this world cannot fulfill point to the fact that we were created for a better world.
History is not quite kind to Van Gogh, in fact the brief version often leaves you the memory of his madness. Yet here are some thoughts from the man himself. I think he is worthy of some study:
Ifeel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.”
I wanted to know more, and in researching this I discovered William Havlicek, Ph. D , who wrote “Van Gogh’s Untold Journey” (Creative Storytellers). I knew that Van Gogh had some Faith because I had used a quote of his about church steeples a while ago. What I didn’t realize was the depth of his Faith.
Havlicek points out that the current drive by the academy toward secularization makes Van Gogh’s Faith practically unknown. Yet the man himself sought to serve God with his art: “…to try to understand the real significance of what the great artists, the serious masters, tell us in their masterpieces, that leads to God. One man wrote or told it in a book, another in a picture.”
And about his relationship with prostitute, Sien Hoornik, consider the man’s own writing: “I met a pregnant woman, deserted by the man whose child she carried. A pregnant woman who had to walk the streets in winter, had to earn her bread, you understand how, I took this woman for a model and have worked with her all winter. I could not pay her the full wages of a model, but that did not prevent my paying her rent, and, thank God, so far I have been able to protect her and her child from hunger and cold by sharing my own bread with her.”
Van Gogh struggled to support himself, but he was generous to a fault.
And about that suicide, Havlicek says that there is strong evidence that some boys were target shooting nearby and accidentally hit him. That he would not accuse them was entirely in line with his character. “He had a very sacrificial aspect to his personality. There were several times in his life when he took the blame for someone else.”
He loved Christ enormously at the end of his life,” Havlicek says. “He said Christ alone among all the magi and wise men offered men eternal life. In spite of a broken life, something glorious emerged.”
A record 1.2 million visitors came to the giant retrospective of Van Gogh’s work in Amsterdam in 1990, which coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Dutch post-Impressionist’s death. What visitors did not see at that major exhibition were van Gogh’s Christian-themed paintings, which were left in the basement of the museum. (read more)
The Red Vineyards near Arles is an oil painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, executed on a privately primed Toile de 30 piece of burlap in early November 1888. It is reported to be the only piece sold by the artist while he was alive. Savhanna Herndon
“I don’t hide from you that I don’t detest the countryside — having been brought up there, snatches of memories from past times, yearnings for that infinite of which the Sower, the sheaf, are the symbols, still enchant me as before.” (Letter 628 to his friend and painter Émile Bernard, on or about June 19, 1888).
Vincent Van Gogh, Le semeur (The Sower), Mid-June 1888. Oil on canvas, 64 x 80,5 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum,The Netherlands
Hannah brought out the coffee for the young man who had just arrived at the Zimmerman Organization Headquarters in Wales. In true form to the local traditions, Josiah poured her a cup, then one for himself. It honored Zimmerman’s Mother who was an engineer in that formerly male dominated profession decades ago. Rupert Zimmerman had insisted the practice continue as a memorial to her. In fact, the culture of the bridge now contained many such nods to those who had paved the way. Josiah had laughed at them in his youth, but now he had come to learn that they were rooted most of all in a sense of reverence for the Divine, who made families and gave wisdom to be passed from generation to generation.
Soon they were joined by Alan West, Flight Director for Cape Lisbon, Rupert’s Granddaughter, Chief Engineer of the Zimmerman Organization, Elizabeth Zimmerman O’Malley, CEO, Abiyah Ben-Gurion and Jon Greene, Professors of the College on Big Diomede.
Mrs. O’Malley began, “My Father devoted his life to making a way for mankind to go where we’d never been before. He considered himself most blessed that he lived to see the things he did. But he always felt a responsibility to those he felt he’d recklessly lead there. It is in that spirit that I have called us together. That drive led us to go to another world and now there are people living there in some confusion. We do not want to send ‘Great Northern’ back there – we don’t even think it is wise, but we’d like to reach out to the colonists and try to help them.”
West offered, “We could continue to supply them remotely with unmanned landers. Eventually they’d have enough landers that some of them could return to Earth, if they so desired. But it is painfully obvious that they feel alienated from us – and our traditions. We feel a human touch would do much to ‘build a bridge,’ if you get my drift.”
Greene observed, “Ray Bradbury once wrote about a similar scenario. Earth is destroyed in a nuclear war but a family takes a rocket on a "fishing trip" to Mars and they escape destruction. They destroy all artifacts of their old ‘misguided’ life. Later, the father offers his sons a gift in the form of their new world. He introduces them to Martians—their own reflections in a canal. That is what we have here. You once said you wished for an unreached world to reach. May I introduce to you the Martians?”
West interjected “It would mean nine months in a fairly cramped environment. There is some risk in any spaceflight and we plan to send a crew of three. There would be no guarantee as to how the colonists would respond when you landed. It seems there are several factions and they disagree on things sharply.”
Josiah’s mind wandered to the story of Nathanael "Nate" Saint, who along with four other men, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian, sought to establish communication with the warlike Huaorani of Ecuador. They set out in a little yellow Piper PA-14 and landed on a beach of the Curaray River. Though the Huaorani had enthusiastically received gifts lowered in a bucket from the plane earlier, they murdered the five men with spears on January 8, 1958.
Though the men were armed, they did not want to kill any Huaorani and they did not use their weapons. West said “I think it prudent to give you some means of protecting yourselves, but I cannot guarantee anyone’s safety at this point. We could continue to send supplies by unmanned craft, but I think they need to see us as more than that, if you know what I mean.” (to be continued)[read more]
A Floral Legacy
The Springhill Hollyhocks
White Hollyhock, Springhill Road. Photo by Bob Kirchman
Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there. It doesn't matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching, he said. The lawn-cutter might just as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime." – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Passing something along to the generations to follow... a worthy ambition, indeed the great feast of Passover and the celebration of Purim involve the passing down of the great stories of Redemption! "And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped." -- Exodus 12:24-27
The coming celebration of Passover is a way of keeping the story alive. For generations this story told as a meal has given new generations the cherished history of their redemption. Indeed it should serve as a model for us as we pass down a Legacy of faith to our children. Historically we have passed along so much more to our children as we would teach them how to work, how to build a life and so much more. Of late our society has built a reliance on 'experts' to prepare our young people for the future. While I would readily agree that a young person becoming a doctor needs to be trained by other doctors, there is much to be learned outside of the academy from the proceeding generations of one's own family. Most of our work ethic and our character is formed in the home. There is much wisdom of a deeper sort to be found there.
Indeed, modern generations seem to have diminished the importance of this tradition, as referenced here in some of my writing: "Haroset, bitter herbs and young lamb mingled together to add illustration to an old story. In ancient times a covenant was often made within the context of a meal. Rupert's own redemptive story was now unmistakably flavored by sweet tea and macaroni and cheese. In the 1950's the American company Swanson created an invention known as the "TV Dinner." Families no longer conversed around the table, often "watching the news" instead of passing truth from generation to generation. Food was placed into individual compartments in a small aluminum tray, individualized for each diner. There were no more passed dishes. The family ate in silence as the television did all the talking."[1.]
That is why I love Mrs. Landes' Hollyhocks. They represent the passing down of a gift to bless many generations to come. The house is gone now, replaced by a gas station, but the Great-great grandchildren of Mrs. Landes still enjoy the fact that they still bloom every year where her house once stood and that is a wonderful thing!
I first noticed the wonderful hollyhocks as I would drive over to my weekend job with organ builder Xaver Wilhelmy. There they were growing in the highway right of way. I started photographing them, marveling at their tenacity in growing where they did. One day I mentioned them to my assistant Kristina, who surprised me by telling me that her Great-great Grandmother had first planted them. They too would find their way into story: "The hollyhocks were in bloom now, and their offspring, lovingly sown from Kris' pods, blessed many a neighboring garden in the biosphere which protected the little town from the ravages of the severe climate. Today, the little gardens seemed especially alive as hummingbirds and butterflies seemed to abound. "Why does this day seem so different from any other?" mused Kris. Surely it had to be the special visit from Kate and Elizabeth. No, the light seemed more brilliant. The flowers seemed more defined. An artist noticed things like this, and each of these women was an artist in her own right."[2.]
The statement: "Why does this day seem so different from any other?" alludes to the Seder by design, referring to the child's question which prefaces the great retelling of the great story of redemption. Projecting the great story into the future is a direct reference to the hope we have in our own promised redemption! Indeed that hope is at the heart of the celebration of Redemption and resurrection!
White Hollyhock, Springhill Road. Photo by Bob Kirchman
The Great-great Grandchildren of Mrs. Landes and the story of her legacy of hollyhocks. Her hollyhocks still bloom every Summer on Springhill Road in Staunton, Virginia. Her house is long gone, replaced by a gas station but the flowers continue to bless those who pass that way. They were the inspiration for the mural: Heavenly Hollyhocks that Mr. Kirchman painted in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Every Summer they appear!, remnants of a garden planted long ago that continue to brighten the drive into Staunton along Churchville Avenue. What a great living legacy for a gardener!Photos by Bob Kirchman
The Azalea Garden was started in 1952 by Mr. Robert E. Harvey, a former Richmond Recreation and Parks Superintendent of Grounds and Structures. Over an almost fifteen-year span, Mr. Harvey, helpers from the City, Garden Clubs and volunteers planted 450,000 azaleas (50 different varieties) in approximately 76 separate beds. They also built a small pond with a stone fountain, and planted a large red and white cross made of azaleas, framed by boxwoods started from slips from boxwoods at Dogwood Dell. Eventually, these 17 acres of Bryan Park would be recognized as a major tourist attraction (and money generator), bringing 450,000 visitors per year to Bryan Park.
Unfortunately as Richmond, like many cities across the United States, came under financial strain, the Azalea Garden fell into disrepair. Efforts are slowly being made to bring it back to its former glory. (read more)
The Bryan Park Azalea Garden at the height of its glory. Friends of Bryan Park.
Azalea Dew Photo byBob Kirchman
Drops on an azalea blossom create a vision of a magical world. Photo by Bob Kirchman.
Public Service as a Holy Calling The Life of William Wilberforce
Is it not the great end of religion, and, in particular, the glory of Christianity, to extinguish the malignant passions; to curb the violence, to control the appetites, and to smooth the asperities of man; to make us compassionate and kind, and forgiving one to another; to make us good husbands, good fathers, good friends; and to render us active and useful in the discharge of the relative social and civil duties?” – William Wilberforce
Men of authority and influence may promote good morals. Let them in their several stations encourage virtue . . . let them favor and take part in any plans which may be formed for the advancement of morality.” – William Wilberforce
It is indeed a most lamentable consequence of the practice of regarding religion as a compilation of statutes, and not as an internal principle, that it soon comes to be considered as being conversant about external actions rather than about habits of mind. This sentiment sometimes has even the hardiness to insinuate and maintain itself under the guise of extraordinary concern for practical religion; but it soon discovers the falsehood of this pretension, and betrays its real nature. The expedient, indeed, of attaining to superiority in practice by not wasting any of the attention on the internal principles from which alone practice can flow, is about as reasonable, and will answer about as well, as the economy of an architect who should account it mere prodigality to expend any of his materials in laying foundation, from an idea that they might be more usefully applied to the raising of the superstructure. We know what would be the fate of such an edifice.” – William Wilberforce
One often hears a nostalgic reference to “the Good Old Days” referring to times when culture seemed more civil, art was more uplifting and the times themselves had a more positive spirit. We do well to remember that these times of refreshment in a national culture are indeed the work of people like Wilberforce, who acted out of what had happened in their own spirit. They are often countered by an argument from those who desire a secular morality that “the good old days were not so good.” Indeed they can point to the fact that people would ostensibly be churchgoing but would still support slavery and such. Indeed one needs to look deeper to see that a Christianity that had a deeper hold on her practitioners was what eventually toppled slavery. In his book Under the Influence, [2.]Alvin Schmidt presents solid evidence of “How Christianity Changed the World.” One might be tempted to dismiss this work, in spite of all the evidence, as merely a tract to promote Faith, but consider the arguments of Dr. Theodore Dalrymple, an avowed atheist, who wrote the book Our Culture, What’s Left of It. [3.] Dalrymple, seeking reasons for the decline of Britain’s culture, finds like Schmidt that “Religion can be a force for good.” As Christianity has declined in Britain, so has the morality and overall state of the nation. Here Wilberforce’s thoughts on foundations apply. It is not enough to reinstate a ‘civil morality’ through preaching the law without its underlying spirit. The message of Jesus Christ cuts to the heart of man, addressing the sin itself, that’s effects are degradation and destruction.
Lovely flowers are the smiles of God's goodness.” -- William Wilberforce
In the movie: “The Longest Day,” which tells the story of Operation Overlord, the D-Day invasion of Normandy, John Wayne plays Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, commander of the 89th Division. There is a moment when he comes upon a road sign pointing out the direction to St. Mere Eglise, their objective. His men have already dutifully began to march in that direction.
Suddenly the General calls out: “Am I the only one in this unit that uses a compass?”
It turns out that the enemy has turned the sign around to lead them the wrong way! Vandervoort orders his men to turn around. He glances toward the sign: “Knock it Down!” he orders. And so we consider the voices that speak to us… offering to direct us, in our own day and time. How do we know which signs are right? What ‘compass’ is there to guide us? Are there signs around us that we should knock down? (read more)
Mountain Maple Blossoms
Maple Blossoms in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Photo by Bob Kirchman.
Monet Moments Photographs byBob Kirchman
Mary Gray Mountain, Staunton, Virginia. Photo by Bob Kirchman.
Sherando Lake, Augusta County, Virginia. Photo by Bob Kirchman.
Joseph Bryan Park, Richmond, Virginia. Photo by Bob Kirchman.
A Capital Vision II
Harry Weese's Metro Design
Harry Weese's 1967 Model of a Typical Station.
WMATA General Manager Jackson Graham long resisted adding elevators to Metro stations, arguing that the small numbers of wheelchair users projected to use the system could not justify the expense. When a lawsuit finally forced WMATA to make stations wheelchair-accessable, elevators had to be shoehorned into existing station designs. 1972 Drawing by Harry Weese Associates. Chicago Historical Society CHS.
The Bus Bay: A 1970's Utilidor.
The space was a challenging one. While Harry Weese’s urban Metro stations transition smoothly, the Bethesda station awkwardly connects to a private development area through an underground bus bay. While the space is efficient, it is not very welcoming. A fountain cascading into the subterranean realm attempts to bring light and movement with it.
1966 Sketch by Harry Weese.
In the 1966 sketch by Weese (above) it is clear that the architect desired your journey into and out of the crypt to flow directly into and out of a park-like setting. His notes on the escalator read: “Rise Directly to Surface.” “Open Directly to the Sky.” “Emerge in a Park.” Though the exigencies of fare-paying and deep tunnels would eventually require dark passageways and mezzanines, Weese’s original vision was different. Likewise the elevators seem to surrender to the darkness.
The Bethesda Bus Bay Fountain is a serious nod to Weese's desire to connect the Metro to the surface. That is where the mural competition specifications dictated that the new mural be placed, on a pillar and balustrade that basically framed the fountain. No plans were put forth to improve the space from the fountain escalator to the very long Metro descent escalator. Thirty mural firms competed for the project. Proposals were due mid-Summer with a mid-October completion date specified in the invitation. Clearly, if I won it I would be working some days under tarps on lifts in the unpredictable mid-Atlantic late Summer. Also, there was the requirement that the mural also be painted on a ‘bench’ along the base of the fountain. The sheer amount of painting required in that time-frame was daunting. It is a project I would have loved to have done, especially in the days when I had an assistant. In the end, however, I did breathe a sigh of relief when the call did not come.
Harry Weese's Rendering shows Metro above ground in a park-like setting near Reagan National Airport.
Artist Juan Pineda was chosen to paint Beth-Stela, a colorful geometric design in the station. The vibrant mural presents a contemporary version of Mayan hyroglyphics applied to the bench, columns and balustrade. It is a great mural. There is a bit of controversy over it though as it seems to some observers to be out of character with the Weese Modernist-classicism of Metro itself. This is a worthwhile discussion. Weese’s work is iconic and should be the starting point for any improvements. I do not think, however, that the iconic nature of the stations themselves precludes color and localism – particularly in the suburban stations.
I would love to see Elysian Lilies considered for a future project of this type, but hopefully in a place where residents had a fair amount of input and some design oversight was applied to ensure community satisfaction and consonance with the Weese vision. Perhaps smaller mosaic installations would add color without changing the character of the spaces too much. One needs to remember that today’s wonderful mural can become twenty years from now’s maintenance headache. Paint being fragile, could more permanent art be added that was smaller? Perhaps a good power washing first would be a good idea. Four decades, after all, have left their ‘patina’ on the venerable design. In any case, it was a really great exercise to study the original designs of Weese and attempt to honor them. Harry Weese, I feel, set out to create a Modernist vocabulary that honored the great historic city above it. That is something to celebrate.
Juan Pineda's Mural, Beth-Stela.
Mohomony, Light and Snow
Painting byBob Kirchman
Passing the Torch
The Legacy of Frank Summers
The community of Staunton, Virginia said goodbye to a man who touched many lives this past week. He was a true Virginia Gentleman and a respected professional. He was a scratch golfer, having learned the game while stationed in Hawaii during his Navy days. Most of all, he should be remembered for leaving his community a better place. When the Staunton YMCA experienced financial hard times, he gave them a loan. When better times came and the organization came to him to repay it, he refused, saying it was a donation.
A man who loved the outdoors, his farm and his family, Frank Summers is most remembered by those whose young lives he invested in. They learned to drive in his old Jeep Cherokee and found the richness of farm life in his mentorship. I first met Mr. Summers when my elderly parents-in-law were befriended by him. Discovering a mutual love of golf he reached out to them. His life was truly a “Wonderful Life,” touching so many in our little community. His example is one to cherish and try to emulate.
Evening Light on Elliott Knob
Photo byBob Kirchman
