Lent 03.29.24
I depict [Peter] going from stunned to defensive and then to belligerent, navigating the full spectrum of the fight, flight, or freeze responses to a perceived threat. By the time the cock crows as Jesus predicted (see if you can make out the bird’s faint silhouette in the lower right-hand corner), Peter probably no longer recognizes himself. He must feel deflated and ashamed. At the end of his descent he is different, so I depict him differently from his three prior denials. He has much less fire in his countenance and can’t even open his eyes to face what he’s done.
The flames recall the fire where Peter warmed himself, but they also represent purification and illumination. Peter is forced to see himself as he truly is—as Jesus had already shown him. Who will he choose to be after this? When we are confronted with who we truly are, who will we choose to be after that confrontation? As we look at Peter’s journey, it’s my prayer that we will consider and meditate on our own.
—from the artist's statement for "The Descent" by Rev. T. Denise Anderson (@tdandersonart) | @sanctifiedart
WEEKLY CENTERING PRACTICE Center yourself in breath. Place one hand on your belly and one on your heart. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, and exhale for 4.
DAILY QUESTION What are you lamenting?
PRAYER Jesus of the garden, you know what lament feels like. You know what grief looks like. You know what praying through the night sounds like. So today I bring you my prayers of lament. See the cracks in my heart that weigh heavily on me. See the places where I carry grief. Hear my cries in the garden in the middle of the night and meet me here. Be my comfort. Be my sun after the night. Amen.
