The Ethiopian wall art caught my attention. As I stood silently, enjoying the patterns and the underlying story pattern I did not understand, a waitress came over and turned the switch. Everything changed. Whatever, I thought the piece was morphed into a different story. I was elevated, still, and captured. As I look at the photograph the morning after, I am still slowly down, thinking, and listening to what the art is revealing to me.
My words and actions reveal what is within my heart. Sometimes, people notice, only to continue with their activities. There are, however, special moments when the best of my heart reveals the essence of care and kindness. In these moments, I see myself in this artwork. A light within speaks to something far greater than I imagine. A story is whispered, at times it is even audible, of values, priorities, and how it all relates to the communities in which we live.
Light changes with the context of where it is seen. When I first looked at the art it was just turning from the late afternoon to dusk. Every second, the artwork subtly changed. It was a story within the story, anticipated, known, and told by its creator. It played on the echo of a writer’s observation that “All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.” (Hebrews 2.4). In each context, it was amazing. As things grew towards darkness, the intensity of the pattern and light began to rise.
The decision to reveal the light lies with us. The design was always there, switched on or not. The placement on the wall was fixed, at least for now. I may have figured out that there was a possible change. Those who knew understood the choice. It was their call to make. When they did, I was the beneficiary. Today I have a choice of what my words and actions will reveal. Having seen the light, I know what my dream can reveal to others today.
