As soon as she was walking, we were out on day trip excursions almost every weekend. The zoo, the nature center, the park and...the art museum.
We quickly grew to love the Cincinnati art museum (free on Saturdays!) and especially the wonderful collection of religious art.
The near-sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham on Mt. Moriah is a frequently used setting for many artists - and there was indeed an oil of it in the Cincinnati collection (although I can't find a web link to that one). The painting I strolled past with my young daughter wasn't terribly scary, so I didn't have to explain the challenging subject matter of a father willing to sacrifice his own son.
But I did have a newfound curiosity about scripture. Hadn't I read that God provided the sacrifice, and preserved Abraham's son? So we stepped a little closer to the painting and I said to my daughter, "see if you can find a sheep somewhere." Sure enough, off to the left of the painting was a thicket, and there the artist had cleverly concealed a Ram. Only someone looking for it would see it. I enjoyed a smile and an appreciation for the biblical detail observed by that artist a few centuries earlier.
There are rams hidden in the thickets all around us, cleverly placed there by the Master artist.
Jesus said we would we find strength in humility. He said to look for power in forgiveness, and salvation in repentance. Peace in the midst of anxiety. Life overcoming death.
Now that I know what to look for, I wander through the gallery a little slower - and enjoy a richer experience.
What do you believe?
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