Strong Right Arm
This acrylic painting is a depiction of the story of salvation that is laid out in Luther's hymn “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”. All of mankind is trapped in the sea of sin. Christ swoops in, taking our sin on Himself, purifying us with His own blood. We are then clothed in His righteousness and led by Christ's example.
Promise Given to; Promise Revealed Through
Two great matriarchs of scripture, the mother of Christ and the mother of us all. Both standing on either end of a promise holding on tightly. The dark gulf between them is the long wait, the golden cord stretching through that gulf is the promise of the messiah to come. Eve feels the weight of her sin but still holds tight to the promise of a savior. Mary leaps for joy seeing that promise she holds tightly fulfilled through her.
Dark Waters
Christ in his glorified state guides his bride, the church, through the dark waters of this world. The waters are fully defiled by sin. Sin is depicted with seven human skulls secreting seven deadly sins. This represents the full and complete corruption that man's sin brought to the world and the death it brought. The church has become apathetic to the world around her. She willingly dips her hand into the waters to “test” what they will bring. Nevertheless, Christ continues to guide her towards salvation, giving her the sacraments that will sustain her, baptism in one hand and holy communion in the other. The reflection of Christ is not shown in the waters, but rather, Christ is reflected through His church.
Sinner and Saint
The old and new self in constant battle. The old sinful self seeks to gather more sinful forbidden fruit until its satchel is overflowing with sin. The new self seeks to give its sinful ways over to Christ through repentance to be no longer burdened by them. A cycle that will continue till Christs return.
Grace Before Battle: Dip Pen Ink
The city of Vienna had been under siege for months, and the fate of the Christian world hung in the balance. A desperate call went out to all who would answer — and the Polish Winged Hussars did. Gathered in the wooded hills overlooking the smoldering walls of Vienna, which were on the verge of being breached, the hussars knelt to take their final Holy Communion. They knew this might be their last ride — a charge against insurmountable odds, outnumbered nearly ten to one by the Ottoman Janissaries. What followed was one of the most spectacular battles in human history. Over 18,000 cavalry thundered down the slopes in the largest mounted charge ever recorded. Against all odds, the Muslim army was shattered, the siege lifted, and the Christian world was saved.