Beyond Words

For some things there are no words. That’s why we need music and art.

This Sunday we celebrate the most wonderful and amazing—beyond words—event in the history of creation: Christ Completing the Atonement by Rising from the Dead.

I’ll celebrate today with just a few words to tie the artwork to the events. The artists, I find, as I do this collection, both happen to be from my religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Walter Rane and Ken Turner (Ken is a personal friend here in Texas; I have highlighted him for his 9/11 piece "Out of the Ashes").

Palm Sunday—the Sunday before the resurrection—our Lord and Savior entered Jerusalem according to prophesy.

The painting is called “Triumphal Entry” by Walter Rane.

Walter Rane's "Triumphal Entry"

The crowds were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. That is what Jesus was celebrating during the Last Supper later that week. According to custom the diners sat on the floor at a low table. It was during the meal that Jesus blessed and gave them the bread and wine as a covenant for them to remember Him and keep His commandments.

This painting is Walter Rane’s “In Remembrance of Me.”

Walter Rane's "In Remembrance of Me"

Christ also gave them another covenant blessing: the washing of feet, which showed them service, but also has meaning I don’t yet fully understand.

The painting is Ken Turner’s “Washing Feet.”

Ken Turner's "The Greatest Servant of All"

At the end of the meal, when “they had sung an hymn” (Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26), they went out onto the Mt. of Olives. According to the New Testament Student Manual on our Church website,   the hymn they sang

was probably the traditional Jewish recitation from Psalms 113-18, called the Hallel. Psalms 113-14 were traditionally sung at the beginning of the meal, and Psalms 115-18 were traditionally sung as part of the formal closing of a Passover meal.

The painting is Ken Turner’s “They Had Sung an Hymn.”

Ken Turner's "They Had Sung an Hymn"
found on his Facebook page a year ago, no current link

What happened in the garden of Gethsemane is significant beyond our understanding. It was here that Jesus suffered beyond what normal mortals can suffer, so intense that He bled from every pore.

There’s a song our young children sing about this part of the story, called “Gethsemane.” I first heard it in a recording by Claire Crosby—actually it was the first video I saw of her as well; I think she was three.

This painting is another Ken Turner, “Gethsemane.”

Ken Turner's "Gethsemane"

Walter Rane also did a version called “Not My Will But Thine.”

Walter Rane's "Not My Will But Thine"

When the soldiers arrived, seeking to apprehend Him, Jesus let them know which one was Him, so they would not harm the others.

This painting is Walter Rane’s “I Am He.”

Walter Rane's "I Am He"

Peter was the apostle we often think of as impulsive. He drew a sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. Jesus immediately healed the ear. One would think that would indicate to any soldier or observer or accuser that He was who He said He was.

This painting of the healing, and the instruction to Peter not to stop what needed to happen, is Walter Rane’s “Suffer Ye Thus Far.”

Walter Rane's "Suffer Ye Thus Far"

Then came the illegal trials, the scourging, and the crucifixion, until Jesus could say, “It is finished.” He was the sacrificial lamb, without blemish. The sacrificial lambs had just been selected for Passover, and then the Sacrificial Lamb that they symbolized began His ordeal. The lamb image is a screenshot of a video related to our Sunday lesson a couple of weeks ago.

screenshot from here

Then comes the cross. 

This is Ken Turner's "Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs."

Ken Turner's "Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs"

Jesus’s mother was one of the few staying at His feet during the ordeal on the cross. They needed to take His body down and place it in the tomb rather quickly, as the Sabbath approached. Imagining this moment is beyond pain.

This is Walter Rane’s painting “Christ Taken from the Cross.”

Walter Rane's "Christ Taken from the Cross"

Early Sunday morning the women went to the tomb to anoint the body with oils. They did not find Him, but an angel told them He was risen. I have heard people comment on the napkin that had been placed over His face. It was folded neatly. Tradition was, if a person got up from a dinner table, for example, and was not finished, he would fold the napkin neatly. It signified he would return.

This painting by Walter Rane, “He Is Not Here,” is one of my favorites.

Walter Rane's "He Is Not Here"

Was He truly alive again? Mary saw Him at the tomb. This is Ken Turner's "Empty Tomb."

Ken Turner's "Empty Tomb"

He appeared to his apostles, and ate with them. He appeared to them again when Thomas was with them. He appeared to some of them on the road to Emmaus.

This is Walter Rane’s “Christ at Emmaus.”

Walter Rane's "Christ at Emmaus"

He appeared to them again on the shores of Galilee. And He spent weeks among them, teaching them, guiding them in how to spread the gospel—the good news. That good news is that He overcame death for all, and He overcame the separation from God for all who would accept His atonement and keep their covenant to always remember Him and keep His commandments.

It is in keeping those commandments that our lives are different. They are not restrictions from a full and happy life; they are the very guidelines to a good life.

We are reminded, at Easter—and always—that it is not life, but the tomb, that is empty. He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). 

I’ll add one more piece of music. This is Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah!” redone with lyrics for the Easter story. I first discovered the words a year ago. (I’ve been arranging the piece for two dulcimers.) But this rendition was passed along to me several times this past week. I think it’s the prettiest one I’ve heard: “An Easter Hallelujah—Cassandra Star & her sister Callahan.”

He taught us how to love perfectly. And He promises to make up the difference for our imperfections if we simply love Him and earnestly strive to love one another as He loves us.

His love is beyond words. But it is not beyond what we can feel.

May you experience a glorious Easter!

Try Reading the Constitution, Part I

Our beloved Constitution is 233 years old today. That’s worth celebrating.

There’s so much opposition to our Constitution and our constitutional republic form of government right now that we might have reason to be amazed a year from now to be able to celebrate again, instead of mourning its passing.

Image from Texas Attorney General's Facebook page

In my very limited ability to preserve it, I thought our celebration could be going through the articles to make sure we know what they mean.

It’s not that long, around 4,543 words—plus amendments. For comparison, this year’s yet-to-be-finalized Texas Republican Platform is around 17,000 words. You could probably read the Constitution in half an hour.

Then the question is, would you understand it? If you haven’t tried it, you might be surprised at how clear it is—even with some legal and archaic word usages.

First a quick review of how the Constitution is structured.

You’ve got the Preamble. (We talked about that here.)

Then come the main three articles. Why three?

In case it is no longer self-evident, placing power in an individual ruler was something our founders intended to avoid. They assumed that, given human nature, if they divided up the power into different branches, each branch would be jealous to maintain its own power, thus checking the power of the other branches.

They divided these into the three basic actions a government would need to take: make laws, execute those laws (as Picard would say in Star Trek, “Make it so”), and judge according to those laws.

These separate actions are divided up into the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The Constitution is laid out to address the powers and duties of each. Article I addresses the legislative branch. Article II the executive branch. Article III the judicial branch. These main articles are further divided into sections.

There are four additional articles related to additional details, like adding states, proposing amendments, handling debts, and ratifying the Constitution originally. And then come the Amendments. The first ten are what we refer to as The Bill of Rights; they were part of the Constitution by the time it was ratified and became law—effective December 15, 1791.  So far there are 27 amendments.

The Light of Freedom, by Ken Turner

This painting was done by my artist friend, Ken Turner, who did the painting "Out of the Ashes" I shared for 9/11. He said of this one:

After fasting and praying in 1987 about how to paint something about the Constitution, I had a dream in which I saw Washington signing the Constitution and knew how to begin. I then added figures symbolic of those yet to come.

It's going to take multiple posts to get through this exercise of reading through the three main articles of the Constitution for understanding. Next time we’ll start our series with Article I, pertaining to the legislative branch. Go pull out your pocket Constitution for that, so you can read along and see if we get it right.

Remembering Unity

My experience living in hurricane territory is that, when God wants to get the attention of people in the Gulf Coast—to turn them toward Him and to get them to serve one another—He sends a hurricane. We had a big awakening call in 2017 with Hurricane Harvey, so we were all relieved last month when Hurricane Laura took an eastward turn and missed us entirely—putting us in the preferable position of offering help, instead of suffering the need for help.

Nineteen years ago, a catastrophe brought us together. The whole country. We were temporarily unified—in a good and positive way in the wake of suffering.

So, looking back on that 9/11 catastrophe nineteen years ago, what did unity look like?

"Out of the Ashes," by Ken Turner

Earlier this week, one of my favorite artists, a friend, Ken Turner, shared his different versions of “Out of the Ashes” on Facebook—my favorite 9/11 image, which I share with friends every year at this time (and I carry a small copy with me that he gave me after a tour of his studio many years ago). He was originally commissioned to do the painting by Randy Dean (I think that’s the former NY football player) “to commemorate the loss and heroic sacrifices that took place on 9/11 and the weeks following.” Ken finished the painting about four months after the event.

There are various giclee versions (high quality original-like copies). There are three of the original version. One went to the FDNY (Fire Department of New York), one to Reagan International Airport, and the third hangs in the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in Texas.

But when the painting was revealed at a reception in New York City, there were requests for additional versions. The NYPD (New York Police Department) asked Ken to paint a flag raising specifically for theirs, which now hangs in their museum.

NYPD version of "Out of the Ashes, by Ken Turner

And the Port Authority Police requested that he add, among the crowd in the painting, the faces of some of the 37 of their officers who died that day; he was able to include 10 of them. That giclee hangs in their headquarters.

When I look at this painting—any version of it—I remember. Not just the horror of the day, but the resolve, the unity, and the love that followed. People got in their cars and drove across the country to NYC, and stayed for days or weeks, working to rescue, clear debris, and do whatever they could to help. People set up funds, and offered love and support in any way they could find. We all said we would never forget.

I have briefly visited New York, but I don’t think I could adapt to that foreign land today. Large numbers have never even met a conservative (that they’re aware of). They define people like me—a person who loves the freedom, prosperity, and civilization that come from a righteous people following our Constitution in a free economy—as hateful, racist, bigoted, and whatever other label for evil they tack on at any given time.

They don’t remember how we loved and prayed and cared for them in their time of need.

Particularly we all—Americans everywhere, and many people around the world—honored and respected the police and firefighters of NYC who responded to help, running toward the danger, and some of them giving their lives.

Ken Turner says the title “Out of the Ashes” was given to the painting by Randy Dean, who commissioned it. But, in Ken’s mind there was always a subtitle: “No Greater Love Has Man Than This.”[i]

They deserve honor. Not just for that day, but for every day when they have put on the uniform and gone out to risk their lives in service of the people. These first responders do that all over the country.

But today, instead of being honored, they are maligned and defunded, even in one weird city in Texas.

A response to the Austin, TX, decision to defund their police.
KXAN photo/Richie Bowes, from here

There’s something really heartbreaking about seeing people this far apart, people who were unified, at least for a time, after that unforgettable date. And now we can’t even agree that what the police do is a good thing. As on 9/11, the enemies of civilization tear down and destroy. Then the truly civilized come in to rescue and clear away the debris.

These are irreconcilable differences, unless there is repentance—a change of heart and a change of direction—from those doing the hating, and the destruction in cities across the land. We can’t compromise with their evil.

Tough times, even catastophes, are all around us. That can mean simply ongoing pain and misery, or that can mean a reminder to turn to God, in a spirit of repentance.

I expect if someone is so far gone into savagery that they loot, and destroy, and even kill, and then call that good, they might not wake up in the face of real suffering. But for those who will turn to the side of good and light, I pray they will come to that side with an absolute minimum of apocalyptic suffering.

We don’t want another 9/11 like that one in 2001. But, whatever comes, people on the side of good and light—and the police, as a profession, are among them—will run toward the danger to help. It’s who they are.

---

[i] John 15:13. 

Out of the Ashes

"Out of the Ashes," by Ken Turner

It has been a decade already. I expect you also remember where you were when you heard. I was at a homeschool family camp, about five hours from home, in an idyllic setting along the Frio River in central Texas. In that little valley we had no television or radio. Some people drove to the top of the hill (this required driving out through a river and up a mile of steep dirt road) to get cell phone reception or listen to the news on a car radio. 

Mr. Spherical Model and our oldest, Political Sphere, were planning to join us the next day. Mr. Spherical Model got sent home from work, and they checked in with us later in the day. And they and other latecomers brought newspapers with them when they arrived. 

So I had the rare experience of being shocked slowly by that event. I couldn’t sit glued to the television and fret, which I’m sure I would have done at home. News filtered in piecemeal. There were newspaper photos of bodies falling from the towers, which have stayed burned into memory. But by the time I got home most of a week later, television news was no longer repeating the footage of the buildings falling, or the second plane hitting its target. Today I would simply get online and look up the info and video, but that wasn’t something I was in the habit of doing a decade ago. It wasn’t until the summer of 2004, at a state GOP convention, when they did a montage of the tragedy and what had happened since, that I actually saw the footage. It was stunning even then. I don’t expect to ever not have this event in memory in my lifetime. 

I have a couple of favorite images following 9/11. One is of the flag rescuers mounted on the rubble, looking a bit like the Iwo Jima moment. The other is the painting above, by Ken Turner, “Out of the Ashes.” It was begun in November 2001. There are several versions, hanging in the George H. Bush Presidential Library in Texas, the NY Governor’s Office, NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority Police Department New York and New Jersey Headquarters. In each version, there are real portraits of the heroes in the painting. Additionally, there are “ghost” portraits, faintly visible people in the painting, of real persons lost in the tragedy. I love how the image makes me feel—that there is still light, and we are walking strong out of the darkness of that rubble into the light—surviving together. I very much remember how we all felt our lives touch one another during that time. 

Ken Turner is a Texas artist, born on the 4^th of July, 1948. My daughter-in-law grew up going to the same church he attended. So a few years ago I took a group of homeschool teens on a field trip to his studio. It was in a historic old building in Columbus, about an hour toward San Antonio from Houston. He is known for historic paintings, from both US and Texas history, and also religious works. He was working on one at that time of the Last Supper. I was interested in how he went about the painting. The first layer or two was fairly plain, just color blocks. Then he added detailed layers over time. He said he kept at it until he couldn’t make it any better. By then it would be lifelike and rich in detail. 

He had postcard sized prints of “Out of the Ashes” that he gave to each of us. I have carried it with me ever since.  

If you’re interested in Ken Turner art, I suggest you contact him online at the Turner/Chapman Gallery. I believe he has moved his studio to his home, in even more rural Texas, so don’t run out there for a field trip without contacting him. I saw this video of him recently, explaining the giclee reproduction process of “Out of the Ashes.” 

I don’t normally post on Sunday. I’m actually writing this on Saturday, setting it to post automatically Sunday morning, and plan to keep it up in place of Monday’s post. The moment of realizing we would survive after 9/11 was worth remembering on the tenth anniversary; and this image of that moment was worth seeing for an extra day.