By Jin Hee Han
As our new issue on SUPERABUNDANCE comes to light, the fall season is firmly in place. It is the time of harvest with the bountiful gifts of heaven. Superabundance is a generous giver that gives without expecting anything in return. We are charged to be good stewards of the good news of the reign of God, from whom superabundance flows.
Title: Fish on Fire
Artist: Piety Choi
Size: 40"x40"
Mixed Media on Wooden Panel
This painting is based on the story at the end of the gospel of John in which the risen Christ came to his disciples on the morning of his resurrection and broiled the fish for them. To the wooden panel I attached the actual pieces of burnt burlap fabric and used acryl paint to reproduce a scene of broiling. While the Johannine passage is commonly understood as the risen Christ telling the world that he has risen and has returned to provide hope as well as hope-filled nourishment, I remember that fire also has the cleansing power of the fire of the Holy Spirit. According to other gospel traditions, Peter had denied Jesus three times. Jesus’ feeding of his disciples with the fish by the sea of Tiberias, however, has no trace of condemnation. In this scene, Jesus said to Peter, “Do you love me?” Jesus then asked Peter to tend his sheep. Divine justice might call to mind fire as punishment, but I cherish the power of the Lord’s fire that cleanses our soul from the stains of sin. There I see the path to renewal and new life.
If you would like to submit an article or book review for The Living Pulpit, email us at editor@pulpit.org.
The Living Pulpit (eISSN 1946-1771) is published quarterly by The Living Pulpit, Inc., 475 Riverside Drive Suite 500, New York, NY 10115, USA. Copyright © by The Living Pulpit, Inc. All rights reserved.
