There comes a point in the walk of faith in which an individual passes the threshold of mere belief and enters into the realm of certitude. God becomes more than just a theory studied in a book; more than mere knowledge of an abstract principle or ideal. God is experienced as reality. Most professing believers know of God. They read the scriptures, hear the stories, and imagine who this God character might be. They abide in the outer courts of His temple, possessing faith for salvation but not service. But the inner courts of His temple are reserved for intimacy, the profound bliss that accompanies esoteric communion. Spiritually mature believers transcend beyond mere head knowledge of God; beyond a hopeful belief in the Almighty. Love touches them. The Holy Spirit generates through the inner sanctuary of their hearts. They possess not a fragile belief system but a Nutty Faith, the certainty of conviction that surpasses all knowledge.
The artwork illustrates the concept of “nutty faith” at upper left. A brick road spans into heaven, bicyclists pedaling uphill into the sky. They disappear into an effulgence of white light. A peanut jogs down the hill, returning from heaven against the captions, “nutty… like crazy, weird Americana.” A fundamental transmutation occurs after direct communion with the Divine. Those who ascended as people return as peanuts. Nutty faith alters one’s perception and frame of reference. A person sees through different eyes, senses the presence of God with the spiritual faculties.
Across the top of the peanut appears the word “stun,” which refers to the frozen lethargy of those without intimacy with Christ. However, an arrow directs the viewer’s eyes to read the caption backwards, as “nuts.” Once an individual experiences God, the rest of the world sees him or her as crazy: “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18); “…it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor 1:21).
People enjoy various degrees of intimacy with God. Some know of God, others experience God in esoteric communion. One person merely believes in Christ in a seemingly one-sided relationship, while another person perceives Christ interacting and interceding in the daily affairs of life. Two Greek words demonstrate this difference. Both translate into the word “knowledge” but are distinct from one another. The Greek word gnosis refers to academic knowledge, head knowledge, and rote memorization. This type of knowledge represents the outer courts of the temple wherein most believers abide: “…the love of Christ, which passes knowledge (gnosis)” (Eph 3:19); “Knowledge (gnosis) puffs up (with pride), but love edifies” (1 Cor 8:1).
The other Greek word begins with the prefix “epi-,“ which means “over and beyond” or “out from and through.” If we consider the difference between the word “center” and “epicenter,” as in an earthquake, we have an idea of what the Greek “epi-” prefix does to the word. An epicenter is “beyond the center” or can be thought of as “out from and through the center.” Earthquake epicenters are often illustrated as concentric circles that permeate ripples out from the center. Similarly, the Greek word epignosis should be thought of as “moving beyond knowledge” or “out from and through knowledge.” It implies direct experience with God, heart knowledge, and applying the principles of learning to everyday experience.
Gnosis learns molecular biology, but epignosis applies molecular biology to create a new cancer vaccine. Gnosis learns calculus, but epignosis applies the calculus to launch a satellite to mars. Gnosis merely believes based on theory, epignosis is the nutty faith of direct experience: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (epignosis) of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Eph 1:17-18); “Be filled with the knowledge (epignosis) of His will” (Col 1:19).
The nutty faith found in the inner sanctuary of the heart renders death to an orientation toward self. This represents an “end of an era” in one’s life, the beginning of “something new.” Seen through the enlightened eyes of faith, the believer is empowered to stand against evil. The cowboy and the spaceman at top left portray this empowered faith and enlightened perception, the active service of service. They fire a laser beam at the beast of Revelation that roars out from the sea. The adjacent caption asks, “Are you ready for the end of the world?” From the seven-headed and ten-horned beast protrudes a finger shaped as a screw. It drills into a figurine on the land. The finger juts from a hand sleeved in the U.S. flag, thus linking government oppression and tyranny with the power of the beast.
Juxtaposed the beast appears Christ, also emerging from the sea. He tells the viewer, “I Love you.” His right hand touches a water faucet and a single drop trickles from the pipe and lands amidst a flock of sheep grazing in pasture. This pictures Christ offering the Living Waters of eternal life, the Holy Spirit to those who will receive His Love: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink… out of his heart will flow rivers of living water… this He spoke concerning the Spirit” (Jn 7:37-39); “I will pour water on him who is thirsty… I will pour my Spirit” (Isa 44:3); “with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isa 12:3).
Water symbolizes eternal life, cleansing, and salvation. It pictures the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Thus, the artwork portrays two groups, both with their separate masters. Under Christ, the sheep of His pasture happily graze, protected from harm. They drink of the Holy Spirit, Christ touching the water faucet that drips. Under the beast, the power of governmental tyranny “screws” the individual into the ground. The size of the miniature figurine expresses one’s impotence against the evil. Without the waters of life, without Christ we are but dust. But in the Lord we share His victory, glory and triumph. As we grow deeper in intimacy, we possess potential to move beyond the passive faith expressed by the sheep and into the epignosis active faith expressed by the spaceman and cowboy.
A whole ocean appears in the background but only a single drop of water trickles onto the sheep. This represents the Holy Spirit only partially available in our current age. We have received but a foretaste, seen only part of the spiritual kingdom to come. The water trickles now, but during Christ’s millennial reign, the waters of life shall stream, pouring forth from the alter sanctuary and healing the land (Ezek 47:1-11). Sin and corruption shall greatly diminish worldwide and cease altogether for some. After the millennial reign, God will re-create a new heaven and new earth. At that time, the faucet will be opened full blast. The waters of the Holy Spirit shall proceed from the “throne of God and the Lamb” (Rev 22:1). Sin and corruption will then be fully eradicated and God Himself will dwell face-to-face among His people for all eternity (Rev 21:3; 22:4).
At far right, a woman sits upon a ridge. She daydreams, “…I don’t like a lot of contemporary art either… I want meaning.” I strive to embed poignant messages in my art that inspire spirit and soul. I believe the Lord transmits personal messages through my art unique to the individual viewer. My own subjective interpretations are not the final authority. Invariably, some will be offended by perceived blasphemy, others mystified by the abstract symbology, but the synthesis of pop culture iconography set against spiritual themes cast a wide net. It creates an enigmatic quality that demands attention and engages the viewer in a discussion about Christ, Love, spirituality, or any number of other “meaningful” topics that would not otherwise arise.
Finally, the banner across the bottom reads, “Starting your days uninspired? Paradise is waiting.” This paradise is found in intimacy with God, the inner courts of His temple, the epignosis of nutty faith based on esoteric communion and direct experience of Him: “…the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). May the Love of Christ inspire your day, and may the Living Waters of the Holy Spirit refresh your soul. Amen.
Larry Word
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