Perspective: Mirror, Mirror in the Words

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

Mirror, Mirror in the Words

You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves. Those who hear but don't do the word are like those who look at their faces in a mirror. They look at themselves, walk away, and immediately forget what they were like. But there are those who study the perfect law, the law of freedom, and continue to do it. They don't listen and then forget, but they put it into practice in their lives. They will be blessed in whatever they do.

James 1:22-25 (CEB)

This is your life

Are you who you want to be?

This is your life

Are you who you want to be?

This is your life

Is it everything you dreamed that it would be

When the world was younger

And you had everything to lose?

From "This Is Your Life" by Switchfoot

What do you see in the image below?

This abstract image is one of the original ten images used by Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach in the psychological test that now bears his name. In this test, the images shown to a person hold no meaning whatsoever, for they are nothing but symmetrical blots of ink. What is significant, on the other hand, is what a person sees in the images. By studying a patient's reaction to these random blots of ink, a psychologist can discover a lot about the patient's personality, thought processes, and emotional state.¹

I once said to somebody that I sometimes think of the Bible as a type of inkblot test. The Scripture passages and Bible stories that are most dear to me are the ones in which I can see myself. In the Parable of the Talents I see that I am often guilty of burying myself in the same way that the cowardly servant buried the money he was entrusted. I long to be bold like the other two servants who invested aggressively.² Another Bible story that evokes a number of different emotional responses from people is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Some look back on their past mistakes and identify with the prodigal, while others who have tried to walk the straight and narrow path their whole lives identify with the older son who resented his wayward brother.³

A lot of people are very concerned about proving the Bible to be historically accurate. This is not a major concern for me. To me, the Bible is not just a collection of stories of people who lived and died thousands of years ago but a collection of stories about all of us. The themes in Scripture are universal, teaching us about our relationships to God and to each other. I believe that we shouldn't just believe what the Bible says but that we should actually try find ourselves within its pages.

St. James, in his letter to the early Church, compares the words of God to a mirror. He says that people who hear or read the words of God and do not apply them to their lives are no different from a person who sees his reflection in a mirror and then walks away, immediately forgetting what he has seen. The Scriptures function like a spiritual mirror. Just as a mirror shows us our own visage, the Scriptures show us who we are spiritually.

People typically don't look in the bathroom mirror in the morning and then proceed to go out into the world looking as if they just got out of the bed. Usually, people will take note of their disheveled appearance and then take action. At the very least they will comb their hair and wash their faces. Some might even shave or put on makeup. Even people who are going for the just-got-out-of-bed look put forth some effort in order to look that way.

St. Paul writes that Scripture is beneficial for "teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character."⁴ When we study the Scriptures we will inevitably see the things in our lives that require attention. We will be confronted with the ways in which we have not loved God with all our hearts and the ways in which we have not loved the people around us. In the same way that we do not walk away from the mirror in the morning without combing our hair, if we follow the advice of James, we will not walk away from God's words without changing the way we live.⁵

A lot of us have love-hate relationships with mirrors. I know that when I look in the mirror, I sometimes find myself wishing that my hair would stay in place or wishing that I didn't look as if I was in my mid teens when I am actually in my late twenties. It is important to remember that mirrors show us more than the things we don't like about ourselves; they show us the good things about us as well. Mirrors remind us that we are all unique individuals, for, like leaves, snowflakes, and clouds, each and every one of us is created differently. Mirrors remind us that we are all "fearfully-and-wonderfully-made" creations of God.

In the same way that we can become fixated on what we don't like in the mirror, we can become fixated on our faults as well. Some people, myself included, sometimes use the words of Scripture to beat themselves up for continually missing the mark. It is important that we remember that, as a mirror, God's words show us not only where we need work, but also what is right about us. The Scriptures show us that, as humans, we are the image bearers of the divine.⁶ The Scriptures show us that our full potential as human beings is to be motivated by love in all that we do.⁷ Most importantly, the Scriptures repeatedly show us that we are all dearly loved by God in spite of our faults.⁸

When we encounter these truths in the words of God, we must not simply walk away and forget them. We must not forget who we really are.

May you be not only a hearer or reader of God's words, but also a doer of God's words as well. May you find your own story in the stories of the Bible. May you see your own reflection in the pages of Scripture, seeing not only the things that need work, but also the things that are good about you as well. Most of all, may you see yourself as one dearly loved by God.


Notes:
1 - Wikipedia: "Rorschach test"
2 - For the Parable of the Talents, see Matthew 25:14-30.
3 - For the Parable of the Prodigal Son, see Luke 15:11-32.
4 - 2 Timothy 3:16 (CEB)
5 - I use the plural phrases "God's words" and "words of God" deliberately in this perspective. The Word of God is not the Bible but Jesus Christ himself. See John 1:1-18.
6 - See Genesis 1:26-27.
7 - See Matthew 22:34-40.
8 - See John 3:16 for starters.

You can see all the original images of the Rorschach test here.

Perspective: Doubting with Anticipation

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

Doubting with Anticipation

A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

John 20:26-28 (CEB)

Believing what I can't see

Has never come naturally to me

And I've got questions

But I am certain of a Love

Strong enough to hold me when I'm doubting

You'll never let go of my hand

From "Can Anybody Hear Me?" by Meredith Andrews

One year ago, my Bible study group was beginning a study on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans. This letter, probably the most famous of Paul's writings, reminded us that no amount of good works or good behavior can earn us favor with God and that we find salvation simply through faith in God's grace shown to us in Jesus Christ. This letter has been an inspiration to many people over the centuries including great church reformers like Martin Luther and John Wesley.

I consider myself the theological troublemaker of the group, so naturally I suggested that we study the Letter of St. James as a followup. On the surface, the two letters seem to contradict each other: in stark contrast to Paul, James notoriously stresses the necessity of good works in a life of faith. James even goes so far to say that "faith without works is dead."¹ While Martin Luther cherished the Book of Romans, he absolutely hated the Book of James. He even referred to it the "epistle of straw."

My time has finally come, and, in a few days, I will begin leading the group in a study of the Book of James. As I began studying the first chapter in preparation to lead, one passage stood out to me:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.²

These can be troubling words for someone questioning his or her beliefs.

In some Christian circles, doubt is almost en vogue. Peter Rollins, one of my favorite thinkers, even says that "to believe is human" and that "to doubt is divine."³ Many people are being honest about their uncertainties, confronting their doubts face to face, and questioning their beliefs. Some would borrow imagery from the Old-Testament story of Jacob and say that such people are "wrestling with God." Still other Christians avoid doubt like the plague.

When considering James's words regarding doubt, I cannot help but think about the story of the disciple Thomas, who is most remembered for his doubt. In fact, people often call him "Doubting Thomas." When Thomas heard from the other disciples that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead, he said that he refused to believe unless he could touch the scars in Jesus' hands and side. One week later, Jesus appeared to the Disciples again. Jesus showed Thomas His scars and invited him to touch them. Thomas then said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!"⁴

St. James says that anyone who doubts should not expect to receive anything from God. Thomas, on the other hand, doubted and challenged what the other Disciples said, and he received exactly what he wanted, proof that Jesus had indeed been resurrected.

To doubt, or not to doubt, that is the question.

I believe that, whether or not we want to admit it, we all go through times of doubt. Often we try to ignore or repress our doubts, but, when we do so, we do not truly work through our doubts but rather bury them deep within us. Personally, I believe that doubting can actually help us to grow in faith. According to author Philip Yancey,
Doubt is the skeleton in the closet of faith, and I know no better way to treat a skeleton than to bring it into the open and expose it for what it is: not something to hide or fear, but a hard structure on which living tissue may grow.⁵

When we doubt, we question; when we question, we learn; and when we learn, we grow. Our questioning could help us to grow more confident in our beliefs. Our questioning might also bring us to the realization that we were believing something wrong about God.

I think that the key to understanding James's harsh word about doubt is found in what he says about God. James encourages his readers to pray for wisdom and then says that God "gives generously to all." If a person does not believe that God is generous - that God will not answer his or her prayer - then why would the person pray in the first place? Notice also that James does not say that God will not give anything to someone who doubts: he says that someone who doubts "should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." If a person has already made up his mind that God will not answer his prayer, then he would likely not notice the answer to his prayer even if it was staring him right in the face.

On the other hand, if we pray with the expectation that God will act, then, at least subconsciously, we will begin looking for the answer to our prayers. Because of our anticipation, we will become more aware of God's working in our lives and we will be more aware of the blessings God gives us. I am not saying that we should expect God do exactly what we want. After all, God knows better than we do what is best for us. Still, if we pray with anticipation, we will be more likely to see and understand God's answer to our prayers, whatever form it might take.

Every week, my Bible study group goes out for dinner after Bible study. Sometimes, before Bible study, I pray that I will become better friends with someone that evening. When I pray this prayer, I find that I am very rarely disappointed, for I find that I grow closer to my friends and have more meaningful conversations with them. Because I pray with anticipation, I become more aware of God's blessing on my time with my friends.

I believe that we should always pray with anticipation, and I also believe that we should doubt with anticipation. We should be honest about our doubts and bring them to God with the anticipation that God will somehow address them. Pastor Harry Emerson Fosdick once said:
Faith without doubt is no faith at all. Ask your questions and have your doubts. That's a great thing. Just include God in on the conversation. If you do that honestly, the day will dawn when you question your questions and doubt your doubts.⁶

I think that maybe Thomas doubted with anticipation. I once heard one preacher say that maybe Thomas felt disappointed and left out because he was not around when Jesus appeared to the other Disciples. Though he doubted, he wanted Jesus to be alive and well, and he desired the experience with the Resurrected Christ that the other Disciples had. Christ graciously gave Thomas exactly what he wanted.⁷

One more story comes to mind about someone who doubted with anticipation. One day, a man asked Jesus to bring healing to his son. Jesus said, "All things are possible for the one who has faith." The man then said, "I have faith; help my lack of faith!"⁸

Yes, you read that right. The man said that he had faith and then, immediately afterward, said that he lacked faith. Was this not a very human thing to say? As humans, do the different aspects of our being not often contradict each other? I believe that the man was trying to say, "Lord, I want to believe so badly, but I have been disappointed so many times in the past that I can't! Please help me to believe!" The man wanted to believe, so he offered his doubt to Christ.

We all go through times of doubt. When you have doubts, may you be honest about them and confront them. May you take your doubts to God with the anticipation that God will make your seeds of doubt grow into living faith.


Notes:
1 - See James 2:17 and 2:26.
2 - James 1:5-8 (NIV)
3 - This is essentially the subtitle of his book Insurrection.
4 - John 20:24-29
5 - Philip Yancey. Reaching for the Invisible God. 2002, Zondervan.
6 - Chris Brooks. Flirt: "Cloudy Faith." The Engage Podcast. 2009, Wayfarer.
7 - Dave Rhodes. Flirt: "Love Lockdown." The Engage Podcast. 2009, Wayfarer.
8 - Mark 9:14-29 (CEB quoted)

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas was painted by Caravaggio.

Sermon: What We All Need to Hear

 Delivered at Bethel United Methodist Church in West Greenville, South Carolina on January 13, 2013.

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

What We All Need to Hear

Audio Version

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are My Son, the Beloved; with You I am well pleased."

Luke 3:15-16,21-22 (NRSV)

But I need You to love me, and I

I won't keep my heart from You this time

And I'll stop this pretending that I can

Somehow deserve what I already have

From "I Need You to Love Me" by BarlowGirl

Typically, science-fiction films involving conflicts with extraterrestrial lifeforms depict an advanced alien race invading the planet Earth and oppressing humanity. This is the premise of such films as War of the Worlds and Independence Day. What makes James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar fundamentally different from it's predecessors is that the Earthlings are cast as the villains. In this film, set in the twenty-second century, the humans invade the alien planet of Pandora and oppress the Na'vi, a more primitive race of lifeforms. The humans seek to drive the Na'vi from their homes so that they can mine a rare material aptly called unobtanium. The film does not describe the unobtanium in great detail, nor does it tell us exactly how the humans plan to use it. What we can glean from the film is that the material is extremely valuable to humans and that humans will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

In the book Insurrection, philosopher Peter Rollins makes the following observation about human nature:
The most sought after material in the universe is not some precious metal or limited resource but rather the attention of those whom we desire. We long to be seen by the other and acknowledged by them in some way. Yet this most precious of materials proves to be frustratingly ethereal, elusive, and fleeting.¹
Basically, we all desire to have certain people in our lives: parents, friends, spouses, and children, to name a few. Perhaps what we want even more than the people we want in our lives is to be noticed, appreciated, and wanted by the people we want in our lives.²

As human beings, we often try to find our identity and our significance in the eyes of other human beings. If we are honest with ourselves, we can see that it is often the gaze of another person that motivates us to do the things that we do. When we are young, we strive to make our parents proud of us. A young softball player might score the winning run in her softball game, but the victory is drained of meaning if her parents are not cheering her on from the stands. A young student may earn straight A's on his report card, but his achievement is meaningless if his parents do not acknowledge it. This motivation does not go away as we grow up, though, over time, we seek to be seen and appreciated by people other than our parents. Often we take up hobbies and various activities in order to meet people and to establish friendships. Of course, the desire to be seen can be best observed in the search for a romantic relationship, for people go to great lengths to attract a significant other.³

The fact that our identities are so linked to other people is one reason that it is so devastating to be separated from people close to us. Because we so often find our significance in the eyes of our loved ones, it is only natural that neglect from parents, estrangement from a friend or a close relative, or a divorce would leave us feeling completely uprooted.⁴

Early last year, I emailed my pastor in the midst of my existential crisis du jour. She responded to me, telling me that we all desire what one of her seminary professors calls "the three A's." First, we all desire acceptance. We all want to be welcomed into the lives of other people. Second, we all desire affirmation. Affirmations are the positive statements that are true about us. In a world of negativity where multitudes of voices are ready to criticize us for anything and everything we do wrong, we sometimes need other people to tell us what is right about us. Third, we all want approval. We all want people to look at us with favor.

I can honestly say that the desire to prove myself worthy of these things has been a major motivation in my life. When I was a junior in college, I was fortunate enough to have a date for the junior-senior dance. Having a date was very significant to me because, prior to this time, I always went to such events by myself. I am not at all proud to say this, but, throughout the evening, I kept an eye out for girls who had rejected me in the past so that I could introduce my date to them. Simply having a date for the dance was not enough for me: I wanted other people to know that I was worthy of having a date.

It could be said that acceptance, affirmation, and approval are the figurative "unobtanium" we all seek, for we expend a great deal of effort trying to obtain these things from other people. The painful truth is that it is impossible to earn these things no matter how hard we try and no matter how good or deserving we think we are. We work really hard to be worthy of these things, but the truth is that, even if a person was to be one-hundred-percent perfect, it would still be the prerogative of the other to withhold acceptance, affirmation, or approval.

The horrific shooting in Newtown, Connecticut last month left many people asking "Why?" Why would anyone commit such a heinous act of violence and cruelty? What would possibly compel a person to murder innocent children? One theory gained a lot of traction on social networking websites because of a quote wrongly attributed to actor Morgan Freeman:
It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single victim of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just [kill] themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.⁵

Whether or not you agree with this theory, whoever made this statement has a point: people who commit atrocities like the recent shooting in Newtown or the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999 gain a perverse type of celebrity status. Books about the Columbine High School shooting were still being written ten years after the incident. Is the desire to be seen by others so compelling that a lost, desperate soul who has given up on life would choose to go out in a blaze of infamy as opposed to dying in obscurity? Is the desire to be remembered so great that a person would rather be remembered as a monster than forgotten?

---

Before Jesus began His public ministry, there was another teacher by the name of John. He was a rather eccentric fellow: he dressed oddly, ate weird foods, and spent most of his time in the wilderness.⁶ He was popular with the masses, but he did not get along well with the powers that be.⁷ John proclaimed a message of repentance, calling people to change their ways. The Greek word metanoia, which is translated into English versions of the Bible as repentance, literally means "to change one's mind."⁸ John knew that the messianic age of peace that Israel had awaited for so long was finally at hand. He knew that the people would need to change the way they think and the way they live if they wanted to live in an age when swords are beaten into plowshares, when wolves live peacefully with lambs, when all conflict ceases, and when knowledge of the Lord covers the earth like water over the sea.⁹

John gave people practical advice for changing the way they thought and lived. He called people to live lives of generosity by giving whatever they had in excess to those who were in need. He called tax-collectors to live lives of honesty by collecting no more than they were required to collect. He called soldiers to live lives of contentment by not using their position in society for their own personal gain.¹⁰ John also gave people the chance to celebrate a fresh start through baptism, a Jewish cleansing ritual.

John also knew that the Messiah, the "Anointed One" who would usher in this age of peace, was in his midst. He knew this from a very young age, for the Bible tells us that when a pregnant Virgin Mary visited John's mother, John began kicking in the womb.¹¹ John was the one with the privilege of preparing the way for the Messiah: in the words of the prophet Isaiah, he was the voice "crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'"¹² When people began to think that John was the Messiah, he said, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

One day, Jesus, the person of whom John prophesied, came forward to be baptized. All things considered, this can be somewhat surprising. Christians typically hold to the belief that Jesus had nothing of which He needed to repent. We believe that, as St. Paul wrote, Jesus "knew no sin."¹³ Furthermore, Jesus was the very one who was to usher in the age of peace for which John was trying to prepare people. With all these things in mind, I ask, why would Jesus need a baptism of repentance? One version of the story even tells us that when Jesus came to be baptized, John protested, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"¹⁴

I think that maybe, for Jesus, baptism held a very different significance than it did for the other people John baptized. I think that Jesus' baptism was not about repentance at all but rather about identity. After Jesus had been baptized, He stopped to pray, and, when He prayed, something amazing happened. The Gospel tells us that "the heaven was opened," and, during this incredible intersection between Heaven and Earth, the Holy Spirit took the form of a dove, descended from heaven, and landed on Jesus. Then a loud voice called out from heaven saying,

"You are My Son, the Beloved; with You I am well pleased."

I ask you now, are these not the words that we all so desperately need to hear?

This simple statement that God the Father declared to Jesus – "You are My Son, the Beloved; with You I am well pleased" – is saturated with the acceptance, affirmation, and approval we all desire as humans. With the words, "You are My Son," God accepted and claimed Jesus as God's own. With the words, "the beloved," God affirmed the truth that Jesus was dearly loved. With the words, "with You I am well pleased," God let Jesus know that he was both seen and appreciated. I think that this knowledge sustained Jesus in a very profound way. After His baptism, He spent forty days fasting in the wilderness where He was tempted with personal gain, worldly ambition, and self-glorification.¹⁵ I believe that Jesus was so secure in His identity as the beloved Son of God that none of these things meant anything to Him.¹⁶

I also ask you now, are these words not meant for us as well?

Your first impulse might be to balk at my question. You might be saying to yourself that Jesus' relationship with God is very different in nature from your own relationship with God. You might even be asking yourself, "Why would God be 'well pleased' with a complete screw-up like me?" Believe me when I say that I understand that feeling.

None of us are Jesus, but we were all created by God, so, in one sense, we are all sons and daughters of God. We are not perfect by any means, but St. Paul reminds us that God loves us while we are still sinners.¹⁷ The Gospel tells us that God loves us so much that God sent the Son into the world to seek out and to save the lost.¹⁸ We are the reasons that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world in the first place. God's ultimate purpose for sending Jesus into the world was to bring us into God's family. Paul writes, "[God] destined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will."¹⁹ We are all sinners, but God is still pleased with us enough to invite us into God's family. We can claim as our own those precious words that God said to Jesus because God created us, claims us, loves us, and welcomes us as family. We spend so much of our lives trying to be seen, trying to earn the acceptance, affirmation, and approval of others, but God simply hands us all of these things free of charge.

I said earlier that it is utterly impossible for us to earn things like acceptance, affirmation, and approval no matter how much we might deserve them. The reason that these things cannot be earned is that they are all forms of grace. Grace is, by it's very nature, a gift that is freely given with no strings attached and freely accepted without the promise of repayment. Grace can never be earned; it can only be given and accepted.

The reality of grace offers us a twofold challenge. As humans, we invest a lot of time and effort into being seen, accepted, affirmed, approved, and loved. We need to realize that we already have that which we want most. God sees us, claims us, appreciates us, and loves us more than we can even imagine, through no merit of our own. Thus our first challenge is to simply accept God's grace. According to theologian Paul Tillich, grace is that which reaches out to us in our darkest moments, saying,
You are accepted. You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you, and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for the name now; perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything; do not perform anything; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted!²⁰

Next, we need to remember that, though we can never earn grace, we are fully capable of giving grace to other people. Though it is impossible to earn the acceptance, affirmation, and approval of other people, it is completely possible to accept, affirm, approve, and, most importantly, love other people unconditionally. Those of us who have experienced the love and grace of God should be all the more eager to share this love and grace with others.

As human beings we all want to be seen; we all want to be appreciated; and we all want to be loved; but we don't always experience these things from other people. When the world leaves you feeling invisible, alone, neglected, unappreciated, unloved, or forsaken, may you remember that you are a beloved child of God with whom God is well pleased. May you never forget this truth. May knowing this truth compel you to share God's love and grace with those who might feel invisible, alone, neglected, unappreciated, unloved, or forsaken.

Amen.


Notes:
1 - Peter Rollins. Insurrection. 2011, Howard Books. p. 5
Please note that I am only using Rollins's observations as a starting point. In Insurrection, Rollins starts from the same point but goes in a completely different direction than I go in this sermon. I am a big fan of Peter Rollins, and I think he offers some critiques that Christians need to consider, but I do not always arrive at the same conclusions he does.
2 - Insurrection p. 4
3 - Insurrection p. 6-7
4 - Insurrection p. 3-4
5 - Kim LaCapria. The Inquisitor: "Morgan Freeman Didn't Make Newtown Statement, Rep Confirms." December 16, 2012.
6 - Matthew 3:1-4
7 - Luke 3:19-20
8 - Wikipedia: Repentance
9 - These descriptions of the messianic age of peace come from Isaiah 2:2-4 and Isaiah 11:1-9.
10 - Luke 3:10-14
11 - Luke 1:39-45
12 - Luke 3:3-4 (NRSV) and Isaiah 40:3
13 - 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NRSV)
14 - Matthew 3:14 (NRSV)
15 - Luke 4:1-13
16 - For more thoughts on this subject, see my sermon, "In Tune with Christ."
17 - Romans 5:8
18 - John 3:16 and Luke 19:10
19 - Ephesians 1:5 (NRSV)
20 - Paul Tillich. The Shaking of the Foundations. ch. 19

Bautismo de Cristo was painted by Juan Fernández de Navarrete around 1567.