God is always new...

The noted religious artist, Sister Mary Stephen CRSS, has created a painting which now hangs in the St Thomas chapel. It fuses words written by Janet Stuart with the light and colours in and around the chapel.

This is how Mary Stephen describes the inspiration and the process...

God is always new and his presence gives new life

(Janet Erskine Stuart)

The general colour scheme has been chosen to echo the colours of the stained glass windows, visible beyond. I have added to this the greens of new growth. I find the green shoots of spring such an expressive symbol for life. Hildegard of Bingen says, God is green&..God is growth, the rising sap&the greenness of life-giving breath.

With all this in mind, you will see that here the lines of life are all flowing out from God and then springing to life in new growth, ending in an explosion within the word LIFE

While God is not somewhere up above but everywhere and in everything the rising life-giving sap it is still easier, visually to portray life flowing from somewhere above. And in this case the word GOD is unavoidably at the top, but his presence is deep within.

Now if we remain silent, still and open to Gods Spirit, his life-giving breath will flow into us.

 

Sister Mary Stephen

 

Image used with permission of Sr Mary Stephen
Unauthorised use/duplication of this image without permission is prohibited

Back to More About Janet Erskine Stuart

Back to Prayer & Reflection Archive