The NO must die so the YES can rise – 24″ x 36″ – patching plaster, acrylic paint, on recycled board. Easter 2015.
There are so many things that keep us in ‘NO’; keep us stuck, keep us separated from others and from God. Many of them have to do with fear. ‘NO’ is limiting, but the limitations are familiar, and sometimes that feels safer. If we say ‘YES’ to life, and to God, who knows where it might take us? The ‘YES’ is infinite, and infinite is scary!
Some of our ‘NO’s involve denying good things about ourselves; many of us habitually think things like “I’m not creative,” or “I’m not very smart,” that don’t allow us to explore our full potential. But there is another category of ‘NO’ that is equally common, and equally damaging to our spiritual growth; denial of the way things are when we don’t like them or when reality is difficult. Denial of our own mortality, turning away from someone when they are ill or suffering because it makes us uncomfortable, unwillingness to admit to the darkness within ourselves; when we shut ourselves off from these dark and difficult things, we miss out on place where real resurrection can take place.
Jesus went through the same thing; considered staying stuck in the ‘NO,’ in the wishing things were different, but ultimately, he surrendered to ‘YES,’ and look what happened! Think about ways in which you could allow the ‘NO’ to die away, and embrace the ‘YES,’ and see what amazing things might happen.
The idea for this piece of art came from the sentence that became its title, which was said during a retreat day by Mirabai Starr, a wonderful inter-spiritual teacher and translator of the Christian mystics. Right away I knew it was a perfect idea for Easter, and also knew more or less how I wanted to express it in a piece of art, so I am grateful for the inspiration! Check out Mirabai’s website by clicking on her name above.