Jesus as I see Him Sermon 6-22-08

     I attended a church that had participated in the Local Pride Parade every year. This particular year there was a Budget dispute in progress. As a result there was no money allocated to the Committee that was to create and manage the float. As a member of this church I thought it would be a fun challenge to help out. So, on a shoe string budget we set out to represent this congregation.

     I became a member of the Pride Parade Committee that was setting up a float. We arrange for several people with trucks to tow trailers behind to carry participants who had trouble walking. I was going to be driving my truck as the lead vehicle for our contingent. My truck could carry the water bottles and snacks for everybody in our ice chests to keep it cold.

     I loved my truck, but it was not dressed up for the Parade. It was a bright White. I decided that it needed to be decorated. I had to think about the decorations so that they would be harmonious with the other trucks.

     I was going to put streamers and paint a rainbow on the hood of my truck.  What stopped me was the disclaimer that the washable non- staining paint, "Might leave color behind". I was not going to stain my Baby. There had to be another way.

     I asked God to help me. I'm not a gay guy who just gets inspired walking into a room for decorating ideas. I needed some technical help. I wanted something colorful that would not hurt my truck. In addition it needed to be something that I could afford.

     That night I had a Dream. In that Dream God showed me what to do.  In the Dream I saw Jesus. God asked me who it was. I told God that Jesus was the Sword of God. Then I saw flames coming from Jesus' feet. I asked about that. God said, "Like the Phoenix he rises again."  When Jesus raised his hands he held the symbol for Infinity.  It was really cool.

     God smiled and asked if that helped. I nodded a lot and was overjoyed.  When I woke up the next day I went to the craft store to figure out how I could share what I saw in the Dream. I'm not artistic by nature like my Mom. I had a strong feeling that I would have help finding the way.

     A worker at the Craft store seemed very interested in the project. He told my I did not have to use canvas which was opaque as my base for the painting. He showed me some flexible plastic that was clear. I asked how I could paint on it since it had no texture to hold paint. I also was worried it might rain and ruin the painting before the Parade ended. He had a solution for all of my needs and concerns.

     The painting turned out being Acrylic paint on a clear Acrylic sheet. It would be water tight even if it rained. And the paint and base would expand at the same rate so it would not pop the paint off in full sun light. I did not give the painting a background color because I was going to use my white truck as the background color.

     I first made wings to bracket the Sword. The sword’s hilt echoed the wings above it by being stylized wings as well. The Infiniti symbol I saw Jesus holding was placed at the tip of the sword. I mixed fiery colors to show the living fire he rose from like a Phoenix. Since Jesus was the perfect blend of Male and Female I added Yin and Yang symbols to show it’s influence of him being in perfect balance.

     I added the Cross, Wine and Wafer to symbolize his Last Supper Messages. The cross of course does not hold a human figure. I showed his ordeal by adding bloody nails and the Crown of Thorns hovering above the cross. Since the association of male and female is echoed in the metals gold and silver I added them as indicators.

     I got some stick on letters because my hand writing is not very neat. I used the letters to write out the motto of the painting. This motto is, “Born to rise again.” At that point it seemed finished and ready to decorate my truck.

     I was very happy with the results. It seemed very fitting to be leading this contingent in the Parade. The Parade was Wonderful. It was a very Special day as it turned out. It was the Day we heard about the Supreme Court ruling about the unconstitutionality of the sodomy laws. This set of Laws had been used to persecute Gays/ Lesbians and Transgenders for years. It never seemed to be used to prosecute Straight folks who happened to be doing the same things at home.

    This Supreme Court Ruling had huge ripples across the Country.  The Parade was bursting with joy and overflowing with enthusiasm as we drove along.  At the end of the Parade route we had to dismantle the decorations and get things back to the church that had been on loan for the Parade. When we were done some of the Committee wanted to continue the Celebration.

     I don't go to bars much, the smoke does a number on my lungs.  I’m often sick for several days after I go out. So after we cleaned up back at the church, I was still filled with energy, but resisted the temptation to go out with everybody. I hugged everybody goodnight and went home.

     I am very glad I did. When I got home I was antsy, and could not settle down. The Energy and Joy of the Parade still vibrated inside of me. I needed to find a way to use all that creativity that was welling up inside of me.  

     When the painting came off of the hood of my truck it did not look right anymore. It looked unfinished and incomplete. What seemed perfect for the Parade was washed out and pale up in my Apartment. I used all that energy and the rest of the night fixing that. 

     I felt that the clear Acrylic needed to be a more fitting background for the Son of God. It needed A Royal Color that spoke of his nobility. After mixing silver and purple I found the right blend and look. I added the swirling purple background to the backing of the Acrylic sheet. 

     The color of the wine was all wrong too. I changed the color of the wine. The wine Jesus drank was not the filtered clear liquid we think of wine today. It had body and sediment clouding it and giving it body.

     When I stepped back to check what it needed I noticed something else. I looked at the wings and felt they needed something. They were lifeless and dead. Jesus’ wings shown like the sun. They glittered and radiated light. When I finally got it right, it was wonderful. The wings shine from most angles when you look at the painting.

     That is how the painting came into being.  I hope you see Jesus in it as well.

God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions.

Angel Eliza