In the Hands of God

The pieces in "In the Hands of God" series were inspired by the practice of Ignatian Prayer.

St Ignatius was a soldier and was wounded very badly in battle. As he lay in his sick bed he devised a method of prayer which involved Lectio Divina. This is the slow and meditative reading of small sections of the Bible. Reading it slowly three times, one can notice if any words particularly catch one's eye. Going into contemplative prayer one imagines oneself into the passage which has just been read. The words of the Bible serve as a jumping off point for one's contemplation. Listening carefully to what the spirit imparts, one can receive insights which are beyond the understanding of our intellect.

Ignatius offered tools for discernment which were if a thought came gently, like water falling on a sponge, they could be trusted as coming from God. If they arrived like water splashing on a stone, causing interference and disturbance, then one could assume they were from another source and could be discarded as soul guidance.

The following pieces were inspired by this technique of prayer and as such they may be described as Visio Divina. The first part of the passage is quoted from the Bible and the second passage is as a result of praying with the Bible passage and the insights which came.

In the Hands of God

The Title page of this series shows the hands of the Divine Creator cradling the sun and the stars of the firmament. Around the circle the waves of the sea are seen and they run out of the picture bringing the water of eternal life into the world

Let there be Light

The Light was Good

Y The hands of the Divine Creator cradle the waves of the deep where the dove is seen hovering above the rays of the sun as it did in the beginning of the act of creation.

In the Begining was the Word

The companion piece to the Genesis Creation is the beginning of the Gospel of St John. Here the hands of the Divine Creator cradle the stars of the firmament as rays of light burst from the central circle of the picture

Transfiguration

Through the Fingers of Light & Glory

This image of the scene of the transfiguration is rendered in the gold of the glory which poured through the body of Christ in that moment. The hands of the Divine Creator are actually gilded whilst the picture itself is rendered in a variety of shades of yellow.

Jesus Stills the Storm

In this tumultuous image the power of the storm with its lightning and crashing waves and howling wind, is causing the disciples to express horror and terror. And yet the hands of the Divine Creator are still present holding the scene with a heavenly strength and stillness which we can find through our faith. Sadly the disciples in this moment had little faith in Jesus ability to still the storm

Gethsemene

Let This Cup Pass

The Hands of the Divine Creator are still present in this most poignant of images. The stillness of the garden with its sweetly scented flowers and the beauty of the silver moonlight, and the tinkle of the running water, provide a striking contrast to the sorrow and fear which Jesus is experiencing.