Wandering Heart: "Rescue me from danger": From the Artist

Read Matthew 14:22-33

From the Artist | Rev. Nicolette Peñaranda

There are no street lights in the ocean. I think about that often. Rarely do we think about how dark and mysterious the night is, even for a veteran fisherman. Nor do we take into consideration the movement of the wind and its roar rumbling off of the waves.

Throughout this painting, we see West African symbols: Adinkrahene, Mako, Asase Ye Duru, Nyame Dua, and Mmusuyidee.* Jesus, the divine, is greater than the limitations of the flesh, the fears we carry like the uncertainty of the water. The ever-present God protected Peter from drowning. We are invited to maintain a hopeful outlook and persevere.

I titled this piece Lift Off as a nod to the 2011 Jay Z and Kanye West (ft. Beyonce) song by the same title. There is something about the opening lines, “We gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars, how many people you know can take it this far?” that lingers in my head. I think it pertains to how Peter must have felt walking on water toward Jesus. Who else was flying this high right then? Who else had dropped everything to live vagrantly with Christ? Before stumbling in his ways, there was something otherworldly happening, which brings me back to the stars.

Living in a metropolitan area, I don’t get the luxury of stars but I like to imagine a world where the skies told their own stories. In Lift Off, the elements are like main characters, inspiring whimsical fantasy. Cut-out layered clouds build into the horizon of the sea. The forceful wind tunnel blows over the sinking foot of a probably panicking Peter. This is a moving piece that is meant to tell a story in any direction it is turned. Like the theme of this series, the viewer should feel like they are on a journey with Peter. Lift Off is intentionally dark with beautiful highlights of color and sparkle. It is because of the darkness that the colors shine bright. These two things are complimentary, not contrasting. The fear that entered Peter with the wind was most likely heightened because it was dark out. Without knowing exactly what was around him, Peter became vulnerable, thus causing him to reach out. The wonder of darkness exposes us and invites us to seek connection. We see that in the reaching hand gently entering the dark sky.

 *Adinkra symbols originated from the Gyaman people of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Learn more about their meanings and significance here: adinkrasymbols.org

Reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art