“The day I began working on this image, another mass shooting terrorized our country… As I read and reread Psalm 80 on that day of mourning, I remembered that politeness is not the language of the weary. The psalmist supplied me with the words I wanted to pray, the words I wanted to scream: ‘Wake up your power, God! Save us! How long?!’

Then, I began to draw. What emerged was a face shining from the cosmos. I imagined God as Holy Mother or Holy Parent weeping for her creation… The doves represent the Spirit let loose in our world, flapping their wings into every desperate corner. I added them not as a statement, but as a plea: ‘please, God, make your face shine so we might be saved.'”

— from the artist statement for “Make Your Face Shine” by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity

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“Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus which means “coming”. The season of Advent is the first season of the Christian church year and encompasses the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It is a season of waiting and preparing for the coming of Christ on Christmas, which lasts for 12 days until Epiphany (January 6).

This Advent, we will be going through a series titled How does a weary world rejoice? created by A Sanctified Art. We hope these daily meditations will accompany and inspire you on your Advent journey!

You can view the FULL devotional booklet (with art, reflections, prayers) HERE.