September-Charcoal drawing-Another's point of view


"I'll put it as urgently as I can:  You must get along with each other.  You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common." 1Cor. 1:10MSG

"The GOAL is for all of them to become one heart and mind--Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, so they might be one heart and mind with us.  Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.....Then they'll mature in this oneness, and give the godless world evidence that you've sent me and loved them in the same way you've loved me."  John 17:21,23 MSG

In all of this hate, shouting and not listening to one another, have we lost sight of the goal?
Isn't our individual goals to grow and mature to be more like Christ, more love, more compassion, more peace?  And then, isn't our common goal of loving one another, the way to show the world who God is and how much He loves each of us in all the world?

This was the premise for the exercise of charcoal drawing.  Seeing a still life from one view point, and then switching sides and then seeing and drawing it from another viewpoint.

If everyone's perspective is the same, how can we learn from one another?

How do our drawings look different?  If we only surround ourselves with people who look like us, or who think like us, how can we truly grow to learn a different perspective than our own?

Do we truly listen to one another and hear the background and the history of where they come from, or are we just waiting to have ourselves be heard?

What does your people group or tribe look like?  We attract those who become our tribe or are attracted to our tribe.  How can you intentionally notice someone different and get to know them?  How can you intentionally go outside of your comfortable people?












This exercise started with a dark background and lifted the charcoal from the paper to bring out the light.  How are we lights in a dark world?  How can we listen and affirm another?  How does listening to another's view, if it is not our own, help them feel heard?  How does asking questions so that we understand another's point of view, help them feel heard?  Misunderstandings are often the point of conflict.  Misunderstandings are not lies.  Beware of the first "clarity" or understanding.  As in art, conversations are in layers of understanding, needing to get to other layers by questions and listening to the answers.  Often in our conversations, we come with brokeness that we project onto another.  We need to remember that often wounds are deeper than convictions.  There is much that we do not know on both sides.  How would these thoughts shape your next conversation?

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18MSG

"My dear brothers, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19 MSG

"I did not come to teach you I came to love you.  Love will teach you."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Creative Prayer- Conversing with God using art

Image
 Why pray?  "First, God.  God is the subject of life.  God is foundational for living.  If we don't have a sense of the primacy of God, we will never get it right, get life right, get our lives right.  Not God at the margins; not God as an option; not God on the weekends.  God at center and circumference; God first and last. Having a conversation with God may be less about you and more about God.  Your focus may shift away from yourself and toward your creator.  If you have a friend who constantly asks you for things but never really wants to listen to you, how deep can your relationship go?  Sometimes we forget that God has a personality and a creative side to Him, and wants to engage us at a deeper level.  Let prayer be a time to savor.  Look forward to spending time with God, using art as a tool to slow down and be with God.  Allow this to be a time in which God speaks to you and you actively seek Him.  An audible voice may not come booming out of the clouds, but many thing
Read more

Session #4 of Creative Prayer..Praying with the Body and Making Crosses

Image
  These ideas are taken from the book,  Making Crosses—A creative Connection to God, by Ellen Morris Prewitt .   Active Prayer   —Praying with your body Praying With the Body-Bringing the Psalms to Life by Roy DeLeon   Roy is an Oblate of St. Benedict and a spiritual director.   He teaches classes in “Blessed Movements”, praying with body, heart and soul, and conducts workshops at monasteries and retreat centers.   He lives in Washington state.      Warm up Active prayer with the Psalms Opening Alleluia praise prayer to begin anything.   This is also a way to get Scripture out of our heads and into the air and into our bodies. When we begin, we are reminded why we are praying, our intention is union with God, wherever we are, it is Holy ground and we need to be attentive and watchful for the inner movement of the triune God with us. The prayers are written in sections, with a Lectio Divine format, a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God,
Read more

Creative Prayer Workshop #3 Paint Your Heart Out! Painting your emotions

Image
  We had a wonderful workshop with Allison leading us in painting our emotions.  We started with putting a color on paper of what a description of anger, joy, peace and love would look like to each of us in color. The next paintings were guided layers of emotions, perhaps a lie we believed, and the truth that we know, all represented in colors and layers.  Some of the pictures from the evening are below.
Read more