Jenny/Sinead O’Neill | May 11, 2010
Jenny referred to two paintings she had brought with her to the prayer which had been painted by her husband
These two paintings, here, painted nearly 20 years ago, in days when my husband, Kevin, had good access to materials which has been superseded by the Prison Service, if not the country’s risk averse policy and practice at all levels.
Anyway, Kevin would tell you that you discover into these pictures and receive from them as you wish but I would note that in Peace on Earth the dove represents me coming into his life and the Loves of Sinead (the name I am known by in Irish) is an expression of personal and cosmic love.
Take up your mat and walk…..you are precious, I created and redeemed you: the voice that holds authority and gives direction.
Not so long after these paintings were created my eldest child, Ruth, by then at University, was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma. The consequent operation left her not only with a total loss of hearing in one ear but physically disabled. Initially unable to walk Ruth eventually took a step one day at her surgeon’s direction - a voice of healing authority.
Through this time I was learning a lot about both hidden and observable disability through both Ruth and Kevin. At this roller coaster of a time I can remember phoning the prison and asking for the ward and to the hospital asking for the wing. Disablement and imprisonment – expressions of living on the margins of society but being at the centre of the prophetic calling to be church.
How as a community are we called to live a sacramental presence in the everyday life of this city, at this moment in time?
How are we to become grace notes, the space in between? How do we become the brush strokes of a much bigger picture?
I can point you to two unbought, unread books that are now on my reading list: Disabled Church by Graham Evans, a former Superindent of the Wesley Church in central Chester who has multiple sclerosis. My friend who referred me to the book says she feels the need for the last two chapters to be “unpacked”, directly with him. She says that she thinks he is saying of the church today, in this post modern world, that it has to recognize its disability and its disability recognize its source of wholeness and healing. The other book I intend to read is Becoming Human by Jean Vanier.
A journey I have been on the last while, with others, is understanding better the life and prophetic witness of Charles de Foucauld through the insights of one of the Little Brothers of Jesus, Ian Latham. Brother Charles was clearly both a man of his time and a man also of prophetic witness who has inspired many to discover what being church is.
In our disablement, imprisonment, marginalisation is the source of our healing and wholeness. We are enfolded in love which casts out fear, we are granted peace which passeth all understanding. The kingdom is here. The kingdom is yet to come. We are first loved. In the midst of all we have to hold on to that, tough though it may be. And out of that love we are called to act justly, seek justice, cry justice.
And so what has the artist to say to us?
Kevin wrote to me recently of a new painting, formulated and held in his mind to be painted:
“Our whole life played out within the boundaries of visits rooms up and down the length of this country that has imprisoned me for so long……….so many words we’ve spoken, written, painted and sung in our song of endurance and endless waiting………………
Can this be captured on a single canvas? I know it can as I know from where each brush stroke has emerged from, each shade of the pallet will pulse in rhythm of our shared heart, the hue of colours will light up in contrast to capture endless time that has been stolen from lovers part, replacing such lost but not forgotten time thus allowing finally our hearts to beat with lyrics of colour representing our life to come…….imagine that canvas taking shape from a blank space……”
These two paintings, here, painted nearly 20 years ago, in days when my husband, Kevin, had good access to materials which has been superseded by the Prison Service, if not the country’s risk averse policy and practice at all levels.
Anyway, Kevin would tell you that you discover into these pictures and receive from them as you wish but I would note that in Peace on Earth the dove represents me coming into his life and the Loves of Sinead (the name I am known by in Irish) is an expression of personal and cosmic love.
Take up your mat and walk…..you are precious, I created and redeemed you: the voice that holds authority and gives direction.
Not so long after these paintings were created my eldest child, Ruth, by then at University, was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma. The consequent operation left her not only with a total loss of hearing in one ear but physically disabled. Initially unable to walk Ruth eventually took a step one day at her surgeon’s direction - a voice of healing authority.
Through this time I was learning a lot about both hidden and observable disability through both Ruth and Kevin. At this roller coaster of a time I can remember phoning the prison and asking for the ward and to the hospital asking for the wing. Disablement and imprisonment – expressions of living on the margins of society but being at the centre of the prophetic calling to be church.
How as a community are we called to live a sacramental presence in the everyday life of this city, at this moment in time?
How are we to become grace notes, the space in between? How do we become the brush strokes of a much bigger picture?
I can point you to two unbought, unread books that are now on my reading list: Disabled Church by Graham Evans, a former Superindent of the Wesley Church in central Chester who has multiple sclerosis. My friend who referred me to the book says she feels the need for the last two chapters to be “unpacked”, directly with him. She says that she thinks he is saying of the church today, in this post modern world, that it has to recognize its disability and its disability recognize its source of wholeness and healing. The other book I intend to read is Becoming Human by Jean Vanier.
A journey I have been on the last while, with others, is understanding better the life and prophetic witness of Charles de Foucauld through the insights of one of the Little Brothers of Jesus, Ian Latham. Brother Charles was clearly both a man of his time and a man also of prophetic witness who has inspired many to discover what being church is.
In our disablement, imprisonment, marginalisation is the source of our healing and wholeness. We are enfolded in love which casts out fear, we are granted peace which passeth all understanding. The kingdom is here. The kingdom is yet to come. We are first loved. In the midst of all we have to hold on to that, tough though it may be. And out of that love we are called to act justly, seek justice, cry justice.
And so what has the artist to say to us?
Kevin wrote to me recently of a new painting, formulated and held in his mind to be painted:
“Our whole life played out within the boundaries of visits rooms up and down the length of this country that has imprisoned me for so long……….so many words we’ve spoken, written, painted and sung in our song of endurance and endless waiting………………
Can this be captured on a single canvas? I know it can as I know from where each brush stroke has emerged from, each shade of the pallet will pulse in rhythm of our shared heart, the hue of colours will light up in contrast to capture endless time that has been stolen from lovers part, replacing such lost but not forgotten time thus allowing finally our hearts to beat with lyrics of colour representing our life to come…….imagine that canvas taking shape from a blank space……”
