“But Who Do You Say That I Am?” by Jen Norton. 24×30″ Acrylic on wood, $3600.
Over this past summer, I participated in a virtual Art Synod sponsored by Discerning Deacons and the Catholic Artist Connection. Artists across America met in online sessions, with many inspired to produce works of visual, written, poetic and musical art. What arose in my heart was the same question posed to the disciples by Jesus (in Matthew 16:15) as they reported what others were saying about their teacher and friend: “But Who Do You Say That I Am?”
I believe this is the question we must all answer. Like the disciples, we hear all kinds of possibilities from our secular world that make us second-guess his divinity. We often run our lives based on the demands of lesser gods: money, health, power, etc. But the disciples had walked with Jesus, witnessing his teachings and healings. Because they knew him differently Peter was able to declare, “The Messiah, the Son of the Living God!”
Peter didn’t read it in a book or hear it on the news. He lived life with Jesus and the Holy Spirit moved him to answer. We too can walk with Jesus through scripture, sacraments and the mass. We too can be open to see who Jesus really is as he shapes our human lives. We always have the choice to pridefully refuse his way in favor of our own, or humbly accept all that he is waiting to give us, even if it looks different than we had planned. If we don’t harden our hearts, we too can hope to affirm, “You are the Messiah.”
In this painting I depict Jesus asking you, the viewer, this question. He is painted in the colors of the rising sun and the design contains the seven “I Am” statements he makes in the gospels.
A large reproduction of this piece will be shown as part of the Art & Synodality live exhibit at thef Ignatian Family Teach-In in Washington, DC, Oct 28-30, 2023.
You can view my paintings, as well as all the other works of visual, poetic, musical and live performance art included in the Art & Synodality Exhibit here: https://catholicartistconnection.com/artandsynodality-virtual
This original painting is available at The Sacred Art Gallery. Prints are available in my Fine Art America and Pixels shops.
