Each weekday morning, I receive a John Fischer devotional from purposedrivenlife.com. I love reading these as I sip from my first cup of coffee, clutched between two hands. They never fail to inspire me. But this morning’s devotional caused my heart to thump.
About Edvard Munch’s famous 19th century expressionism painting The Scream (small version shown at left), John writes, “In the artist’s own words, the inspiration for this painting came when an unexplainable sense of dread overcame him while out walking with two of his friends. ‘My friends walked on—I stood there, trembling with fear. And I sensed a great, infinite scream pass through nature.'”
Later in the devotional, John writes, “This is not a painting of a human being on a bridge surrounded by landscape; it is an abstract capturing of the human soul. It is a painting of the state of mind that many people are in today. We live in a time of momentous fear. Terrorism and economic hardship grip many people, but their screams are mostly silent. Those who could help are walking away. Where are you in this picture?”
Excellent question. Disturbing question. How many silent screams do I have my back toward?
Lord, give me ears to hear the frightened, hurting, lost world around me. Let me walk toward those in need and not away. Give me Your heart of compassion. And Jesus, when I am afraid, don’t let me scream silently. Bring me to You. Amen.
See a large copy of The Scream here.
-rlh-
Today’s Bible Reading: John 7-8
