I Need My Tears Washed

Day 9 of Advent

I am reading a book by Robert Hass titled, What Light Can Do; essays on art, imagination, and the natural world.  The authors stance is that lights main function in life is to allow us to see, but not just what’s before us, it allows us to pay attention to that which we should pay attention to; light as guide, light as the revealer of the truth.  Brings new meaning to Christ sayings, “I am the light of the world.” and to us, “You are the light of the world.”  I do not have the room or you the attention to write all my thoughts on these subjects but one thing I am sure of, Christ came to us so that we can see what we need to pay attention to. As an artist that is the most critical thing I do and try to get you to do.  It never ceases to amaze me how shallow my gratefulness is in comparison to His Grace.   I guess it’s the reason this light line was in my Puritan Prayer reading this morning, “I need to repent of my repentance.  I need my tears to be washed.”

Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622