Salvator Mundi
My Year in Review (2018)
When we are willing to defy expectations.
[an excerpt from my book 🤞 hopefully forthcoming 🤞 LIFE IN REVIEW to Deconstruct Faith Toward Hope]
. . . I spent the next day at London’s National Gallery art museum. What an amazing two days! I wanted to make sure and catch the Caravaggio’s housed there, but also wanted to find some new inspiration. My prayer, upon entering the museum, was to see more of God, more of myself, and more of my surroundings through the experience. Art seems to always open my eyes in new ways.
I found myself standing in front of this painting for a while, Andrea Previtali, Salvator Mundi (1519). I had seen Christ holding orbs before, but I don’t think I ever really payed attention to what it might mean. As I stood there my thoughts turned to this idea of perspective. Weeks later, we developed these thoughts as a community, and it became a prayer.
When I introduced the painting to our community, we began a dialogue about new metaphors for faith. If we were to consider a metaphor that captured, for the time being, a way to speak about our changing nature of faith — what would that object be? The evening that we began this conversation, I asked those gathered to hold a plastic orb in their hands. I had gotten a box full at a local craft store. These orbs were clear plastic and were made of two halves — like a plastic egg. So, I had them click them together and observe the qualities of this object. I also had them take them back apart, in an action that reminded us that this metaphor can easily be pulled apart and deconstructed again — down the road. But for now, we imagined what it would mean to take on such a metaphor for our faith.
What would a clear orb mean to our faith? Why was Jesus, the Salvator Mundi or Saviour of the World, holding this object in so many ancient paintings?
prayer of the orb
Take a moment to sit and contemplate your limited — but expanding perspective . . . The following is the practice we engaged in as a community.
TAKE HOLD OF THE ORB and put it together. Ask God to make you aware of the world as one that is open and expanding — rather than fixed and opaque. Consider the contrast, prayerfully. What qualities will you need to live within an open and expanding world? What is more comfortable about a world that is fixed and opaque — or flat?
EXAMINE THE OUTSIDE of the orb. Reflect on the ways you have recently expanded beyond your previous understandings of life — venturing beyond what is comfortable for you. New friends, new habits, new experiences. Write some of those here.
TAKE THE ORB APART again. Reflect on the ways you have been found a growing ‘expanse’ within? What does it mean to you to be “home in your own skin?” Have you found such comfort?
(TAKE THE SHARPIE AND WRITE on the orb) . . .
Write a word on the OUTSIDE that signifies your growth — or longing for growth “outside”.
Write a word on the INSIDE that signifies your growth — or longing for growth “internally.”
Consider again the painting, Salvator Mundi.
Read through these descriptions of Christ’s presence and authority of this “expanding and open” world. Reflect on how you can be freed from your own need to control and manipulate your world — as Christ offers us a kind of flow within our ever widening understanding of life.
Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams, a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift. And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great. The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders. His name? His name we’ll know in many ways — He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing, Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6
To Him was given authority, honor, and a kingdom so that all people of every heritage, nationality, and language might serve Him His dominion will last forever, His throne will never pass away, and His kingdom will never be destroyed. - Daniel 7:14
He will make peace with the nations; His sovereignty will extend from coast to coast . . . - Zechariah 9:10
The disciples were astonished. “Who is this? What sort of man is He, that the sea and the winds listen to Him?” - Matthew 8:27
The people couldn’t stop talking about what they had seen. “Who is this Jesus? This is a new teaching — and it has such authority! Even the unclean spirits obey His commands!” - Mark 1:27
The Father loves the Son and withholds nothing from Him. - John 3:35
God has placed all things beneath His feet and anointed Him as the head over all things for His church. - Ephesians 1:22
Now He has entered heaven and sits at the right hand of God as heavenly messengers and authorities and powers submit to His supremacy. - 1 Peter 3:22
The next several articles will include the content from the two evenings we prepared/encountered over two Sundays as a community. But you can download the full PDF.
