View allAll Photos Tagged relationships
[The relationships between the species need to be further clarified
Hidden almost out of sight, just off the Huron Street bridge in downtown Stratford, Ontario lies the Shakespearean Gardens. This well manicured English garden offers a formal setting with boxwood hedges,stone walkways, benches and gazebo yet comes alive with the brilliant colour of an amazing array of flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees.
The views from the garden are just as impressive with the historic Perth County Courthouse to one side and the gently flowing Avon River on the other side. Stone steps and a pathway along the Avon River lead you underneath the old Huron Street bridge and towards the Shakespeare Festival.
HomilytheFifthSundayofLent032623
This is the fifth week of Lent. Our Gospel reading is a the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is a drama happening in the context of a global drama-the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These two events are intimately linked to each other. Both dramas show us how God moves within Salvation history that is on behalf of all humanity and then how Jesus works within the drama and detail of each and every life. Love for us, is God’s purpose and is reflected in both events.
We have the benefit of witnessing the unfolding of these two events and there importance to us collectively and individually-especially during Lent. We must not forget how fortunate we are to be on this side of the resurrection, because we have the complete picture, there are no surprises accept the ones we experience in the details of our own lives.
Our church provides us a way of entering into these events through her liturgies, liturgical seasons and sacramental rites. In this way, Jesus Christ is present to us in a multiple of ways. However, we can also let the glittery world distract us, and pull our attention from the “one thing that matters” our relationship with Christ. For it is in the intimacy of this relationship that we can experience Him in the details of our own lives, as he was present for Lazarus, Mary and Martha in our Gospel story.
How was Jesus present to them? Let us begin with “and Jesus wept.” For whom is Jesus shedding tears? The simple answer is for his friends. In these few words, we can be sure, that just as Jesus is moved by Martha and Mary in their grief and sorrow at the loss of their brother, so our Jesus is present to us. In the mundane, the joyful and the sorrowful details of our life…the presence of Christ can be felt if we have a place for Him.
How was Jesus there for Lazarus? From our Gospel reading, it was apparent that Jesus knew that Lazarus was sick, and it appears that he was slow to respond. For a greater purpose that only Jesus knew, he was going to raise him from the dead, as a foreshadowing of his own death.
When Jesus appeared before Lazarus, he asked that the stone be rolled away and then said
“Lazarus, come out!” What did Lazarus hear in this command? Artist and theologian Makoto Fujimura in his book Art and Faith say’s it quite beautifully:
“What Lazarus heard was not the voice of a mere mortal trying to speak of love and hope. What called Lazarus was the voice of a Son of God himself who spoke from beyond the veil into eternity, into the Father’s presence. What Lazarus heard was the voice of true hope and true love. What Lazarus heard was nothing short of the voice of Creation.” (end quote)
Once again, Lazarus, Martha and Mary are together again and Jesus is in the center. Their individual drama is completed and Jesus passion is just beginning. Soon after raising Lazarus,
The Sanhedrin met, and decided that they were going to kill Jesus.
So, we see, the unfolding of the Lazarus event, within the larger event we call the passion. As it was for Lazarus, Martha and Mary, Jesus works within the details of our lives and collectively we are the body of Christ moving forward in time. What harm can the world do to us, nothing…because we are a resurrection people.
In the detail of our lives, Jesus is present to us, even when we do not realize it. Blessed are we, if we are aware of his presence. Knowing that HE is with us in our ups and downs, giving us the peace and comfort that the world can never provide. What is even more profound is when we see HIM in others that crowd around us in our times of loss, despair, joy and celebration. In a mysterious way, our journey through this valley of life uniquely contributes to the bigger picture of our salvation history and building up the Kingdom of God on earth. The season of Lent, amplifies this walk with Jesus. We are given the opportunity to walk with Him…to be with him…to comfort HIM…to weep with HIM and to be his friend.
-rc
This photo was taken at Seagrove Beach FL. Storms can be beautiful and terrible, just like life. I pray that right now things are going good for you, and if you don't have a relationship with Jesus, find one!! God Bless, and have a blessed day!
In Mathematics, if two lines are PARALLEL, they do not meet each other, or do NOT TOUCH each other.
If we defined "ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP" as "touching someone's heart," then there wasn't such a relationship when a couple's hearts were not touching. So, can we say "the relationship is parallel?"
If it is so, this image represents a COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP with THREE people.
A relationship made in heaven....
Camera: Nikon D90
Lens aperture: f/14
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO: 200
Focal length: 62mm
These small Orchids I don’t know the name of, have ants on a couple buds here. Those ants are crucial to flowering these beauty’s. Ants are eating the film off the bulb.
Reflections in the glass of River City Galleries, showing construction in Thonburi on the opposing riverbank,
Si Phraya, Bangkok
“Relationships-of all kinds-are like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is. The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold onto some of it, but most will be spilled. A relationship is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship slips away and is lost.”
Subject: A woman meditating while visons of legs move her willpower.
Medium: Digital Artwork.
Inspiration: Relationships in transition.
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
- Buddha -
Happy Sunday my friends!
Painted in 1998 with Kaper in Phoenix, Az. , caught by the Homie, Alamo in Minnesota 2010. Thanks for the flic. A little sun damaged and fading but still there. I guess this wasn't the first time either that he's caught this car. That's pretty cool to think of all the places that the piece has probably seen in it's days. I may be over-romanticizing it but it does make you wonder........
The night we painted this was a pretty cool night with a smooth breeze. A perfect night for painting. Unlike the daytime temperatures that were clearly in the low 100's. The yard spot was in an industrial area within the center of the city. It was completely dead and was full of line after line of Hoppers and BN ridgies, no boxcars though. So we grabbed the next best thing. I remember kind of being a little let down thinking, "Shit, I could paint these back home." Either way, I was just glad to be rocking with the Desert King, Kaper. This all took place after learning of each others existance and having a mutual respect for each other as writers on the lines. We got in contact with each other the old fashioned way. We traded flicks by sending packages to each other and built up a relationship as friends. Something that used to take quite a bit of time back in the nineties. Something that now can be obtained with a few clicks on a computer. It's pretty cool to see how things have changed. Seriously and I know that this is going to date me but to all you young writers out there, you have to imagine NO Internet. There was the internet, just noone really knew how to use it. Email and chat rooms and places like Flickr, were a distant innovation and guys like me didn't grow up with computers as real learning tools in school. I actually got Kaper's address and phone number from another writer that I was trading photos with in Cali. It was a pretty cool thing to do, go visit a new city and paint with a complete stranger that you have never even seen his face. The first time I met Kaper I was chilling at a local meeting spot in Tempe. He approached me and we ended up going to Hooters and downing a few pitchers of beers and talking graff while looking at some ass for a couple hours. It was good and we pretty much hit it off. The next time I met up with him, his whole NG crew of homies were there. Some real cool cats. We all kicked it at this pub and got up in each others sketch books. It was a good night. Kaper and I ended up painting one more Fr8 together on that trip and a wall with a bunch of writers from Phoenix and LA on the outskirts of town. We lost touch over time and I haven't really talked to him in over ten years. I hope to make it back out to Phoenix someday soon and hopefully crush a few cars with him again. Seeing this photo, really brings me back to that time, plus knowing that my piece has survived 12 plus years of service, makes me feel good. Thanks again, Alamo for the photo and thanks Kaper for the memories.
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (07/04/21)
Subject: Oh the Sweet Burden We Carry
Sometimes, as believers, we find ourselves in a lonely place. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is a “sweet burden” that we carry. Why, do I call it a sweet burden? We are surrounded by many distractions that would love to rob us of our faith. The most hurtful situations my come from those closest to us-who feel comfortable criticizing our faith or critiquing our way of life.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus has come to his native place to teach in a familiar synagogue. Jesus in his preaching was probably amongst familiar faces…who where astonished at his preaching. They are aware of his deeds of healing and wisdom. But all of this was overshadowed by their familiarity with Jesus. Is he not a carpenter? Is he not the son of Mary and do we not know many of his family members? So they took offense at him. They shut him down! “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” Jesus was also amazed at their lack of faith. However, this did not stop Jesus and his mission to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth. His rejection by familiar faces did not cripple his journey. Jesus kept moving. We know this because we have the Gospel accounts of his life, death and resurrection.
Maybe we get discouraged because we are the sole believers in our families. Have you witnessed your grown children leave the faith? I think many have! I have seen many grandmothers over the years, taking the responsibility of insuring their grand children receive faith formation.
We carry with us the burden of what others expect from us. Sometimes those closest to us expect that we live up to what they consider the Christian way. Understandably, since we are all broken, our family and friends, will always be in a position to judge our performance, by a criteria that is stunted and juvenile. What they fail to understand is that our faith carry’s us…even with the knowledge that we too are broken…we understand that we are loved. When we fail, as we often do…we raise our heads and continue to walk with our shepherd-Jesus Christ. I am reminded of a scripture where Paul says in Romans 5:
1.Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Because we are believers in Christ, we use him as our model and we do not need to apologize for our chosen journey . The path we have chosen is difficult! We take up our own crosses with courage…a sweet burden it is…and move forward in time knowing that our reward is a “peace beyond understanding”and a hope to see the world through our saviors eyes. Our first and second scripture readings, give us assurance that the followers of God, will always be challenged by unbelievers. The struggles we face to live out our faith collectively contribute to the on going and larger story we call salvation history.
Every Mass we come together, carrying our faith deep within our hearts…knowing full well that we are going to be fed and healed by the bread of life. When Mass ends, we carry Christ through the doors, where we will encounter others that are waiting to encounter Christ in us…may we live up to what Jesus expects from his disciples.
9.4.1996, 11.50 h, Beziehung, 15x10 cm, Bleistift, Wasserfarbe.
9.4.1996, 11.50 h, Relationship, 6 x 4 inch, pencil, watercolor.
Farbige Skizzen aus alter Zeit sortiere ich momentan. Es sind Reiseerinnerungen von Zugfahrten, während der Fahrt entstanden. Hier war ich in Polen unterwegs nach Kraków.
Colored sketches of old-time I sort currently. There are travel memories of trains during the trip originated. Here I was in Poland on their way to Kraków.
This cat steals food, starts cat fights, and is basically up to no good. He lurks around our yard and drives my schnauzer absolutely insane.
What kind of relationship is there between human and other species? Most of the time, human is the most dangerous species to the others. We eat them. We consume them and we destroy their habitat. When some of the animals approach humans or move into human communities, they will be killed or find it very difficult to survive in the city area.
However some of the animals never learn that.
Happy Sunday!
Minoru Park, Richmond. March 2019.
Fuji X-T1
Fuji XF 50-140mm
PROVIA Film Simulation