The walls of the rooms were adorned with splashes of color. Some were on canvas while others were on rice paper or the bare walls. It was a solo artist showing his latest works and his parents, who were good friends of mine, invited me. For nearly an hour, I was treated to an eclectic mix of a provocative style that blended traditional Chinese art themes and characters with modern abstract techniques. In his own words, 

“My connection with my Chinese heritage is incredibly complicated. For a long time, I yearned for an appropriate means of connection between Chinese culture and my identity.  I was unsure of how to embrace this side of myself, but I still adopted the medium of ink on paper on a whim. In acceptance of the medium, I experienced acknowledgment of my Chinese roots without feeling a need to conform to either Western or Eastern techniques.  I began to feel an affinity towards the medium; ink’s appearance is immediately Chinese, though through closer examination, the line-work, color, and composition tell a story that is not of either nation. When I think of my work, I think of my interaction with the medium.  Personal experimentation with the medium lead to innovation as I found opportunities in the paper material itself.  Approaching the material, it appeared to welcome my experimenting as I felt a freedom in cutting up the paper, printing with it, gluing pieces together to create collage, and thinking of the paper as a sculptural object.  The pursuit for innovation is the positive result of my painful experience of diaspora.”

His choice of the word, diaspora, intrigued me. I immediately thought of the opening verse of 1 Peter.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 

1 Peter 1:1-2 (ESV)

I approached the young artist and waited for an opportunity to speak to him. Introducing myself, he greeted me warmly. “Yes, my parents have told me so much about you. Thank you for coming!”

“The pleasure is mine.” I looked around the room and said, “I am enjoying your work. I have a few questions.”

“Of course!”

“Before I came, I visited your website and read your personal statement. I was intrigued by your use of the word, diaspora. I am curious. What does that word mean to you?”

He was surprised by my question. “Oh wow. Yeah. Kind of like the sum of my experiences, traveling to different countries and cultures.”

I nodded. “I see. When I saw that word, I thought of the Bible and the Apostle Peter’s letter addressing the dispersion of Jewish Christians because of persecution. Diaspora is the Greek word for dispersion.”

“Interesting. Yeah! I think my diaspora is intellectual. It was a lot of painful experiences as I pursued my path to gain a unique voice.”

“I get it. I had never thought of that way.” I shook his hand. “Thanks for enlightening me. Really neat to see your development as an artist through this collection of works.”

As I said my goodbyes, the parents, who invited me to his show, thanked me for coming. I turned it around. “Oh no. Thank you for inviting me. I rarely have an opportunity to discuss abstract ideas like this. It is so refreshing to speak to an artist.”

All artists see the world through a different lens, a different perspective. This is what makes artists unique. My conversations with them always stretch my mind and force me to think outside the box. 

My relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is very similar. There are concrete facts but what captivates and challenges me is the depth of His words and teachings. As a physician, my education was and continues to be heavily steeped in the sciences. I learned about how the body works and how it breaks down. I learned about how to correctly diagnose and treat many diseases. When I read the Bible, I learned about Jesus’ ministry. He was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth before departing and beginning His three-year ministry leading to His death and Resurrection. These are the facts but what challenges me is the why. Why did God, the Father, send His only Son to be born to a woman through a miraculous birth? Why did Jesus give up His exalted position seated at the right hand of God, the Father, and become a man, vulnerable to pain and suffering? Why did Jesus die for all humanity, even knowing that one of His own disciples would betray Him? The more I ponder these questions, the more my mind is stretched. Like my artist friend, I view Jesus Christ from a different perspective. He was a great teacher and prophet but He was much more. He is God incarnate. 

I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Psalms 119:96 (ESV)

God’s Word is exceedingly broad and continues to stretch my mind.

Amen!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.