Artist Statement

Psalm 11 opens up to David who has just been threatened with death by King Saul’s forces, wrestling with what I imagine to be his own amygdala telling him to “flee like a bird to your mountain”. God designed our bodies to shift quickly to fight, flight or freeze when faced with an immediate, physical threat as a protective measure. We can think of many previous examples of David running to the caves for shelter, and doing so saved his life! But today, David sees no reason to run. Why not this time? As a youth, David endured a rather traumatic and lonely childhood, and spent a lot of time in isolation tending to sheep and fending off lions and bears (seriously, who would put their youngest child in that kind of danger?). I imagine he cultivated a practice of taking refuge in his only Companion. So now, perhaps David was able to stop the automatic, fear-based response and center himself back to where he recognizes the Lord as his refuge, no matter what. He then could make his choice based on this. For this particular moment, maybe David realized that to flee could mean to forsake his calling as the next king. He then engaged in the kind of nonviolent resistance that Jesus Himself would model later for us. 

I see a powerful example of this kind of faithful resistance among Christians in Gaza right now amid severe threats to their existence. They have coexisted with Muslims and Jews on the land for centuries. When they were encouraged to flee, they saw Israel’s indiscriminate bombing, and also knew that to leave might forfeit their chance of return*, so most decided to take shelter together in the two remaining churches in the Gaza Strip. They have been slowly succumbing to starvation, sickness, and snipers**. They are terrified, but they are refusing to leave just because someone is holding up a Bible claiming it says someone else deserves the keys to their house.

I chose to style my artwork after street protest art because it is art for the people. It shows up anytime an injustice is being confronted and people are organizing for change. I was inspired by a trip we took last summer to Belfast and toured the murals that documented the Troubles, as well as many artists on Instagram who are addressing the struggle for Palestinian liberation. I will speak to a few of the key elements of my piece and hope it invites you into further exploration, both of the art as well as the people of Palestine. 

Red poppies grow wild all over Palestine. In fact, it is widely believed that this is the flower that Jesus referred to when he invited us to “consider the lilies”. I’ve chosen to represent the people of this land as the lilies and try to convey their steadfast resilience amidst much hardship.

Bulldozers: throughout the history of Israeli occupation, they have been used to destroy entire villages and displace thousands of Palestinians. I encourage you to read the story of Rachel Corrie.

The dove represents the beautiful nonviolent resistance that was first modeled and taught by Jesus, about turning the other cheek. Jesus was not advocating for passivity, but was teaching us about the art of protest here. Instead of fleeing in fear, the dove is throwing open her feathered arms, as if to say, “You can kill me, but you must first see me.” This cry for the oppressor to recognize the imago dei in the oppressed is ultimately an act of love for her oppressor, too. 

*https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/15/75-years-later-israel-blocking-palestinian-refugees-return

**https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/16/middleeast/idf-sniper-gaza-church-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html