Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral, (Charleston, South Carolina), October 2026.
Category: Words of Grace Newsletter
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Who is Matthew? Caravaggio and the Question of the Call
Reflection • The Calling of St. Matthew in Rome is examined here through its ambiguous central figure and two competing readings of who Matthew is. Both interpretations leave conversion’s outcome unresolved, prompting a turn to the parable of the two sons: true conversion is proven through action, not words.
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral, (Charleston, South Carolina), September 2026.
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The First Cover-up: Amrita Sher-Gil’s “Adam and Eve”
Reflection • Drawing on the literary structure of Genesis and Amrita Sher-Gil’s Adam and Eve, this reflection argues that the true turning point of the Fall is humanity’s decision to hide from God. Contrasting Adam and Eve with David and Peter, it explores how confession, rather than concealment, opens the way to forgiveness, restoration, and renewed communion with God.
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral, (Charleston, South Carolina), July-August 2026.
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When Expectation Blinds Us to Grace
Reflection • This essay uses Emmanuel Garibay’s Emmaus (2012) as a starting point to consider how expectation can blind us to grace, answered prayer, and God’s unexpected work. Through Scripture, it asks how disappointment becomes offense when God’s promises arrive differently than imagined.
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral, (Charleston, South Carolina), May 2026.
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The Cross from Christ’s Perspective: Psalm 22 and James Tissot
Reflection • James Tissot’s watercolor imagines the crucifixion from Christ’s perspective, illuminating Psalm 22 as Jesus’ prayer from the cross. What begins in anguish moves toward trust, resurrection, and triumph. The article invites readers to hear “My God, my God” not as despair alone, but as a cry filled with hope.
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral, (Charleston, South Carolina), April 2026.
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Forgiveness as a Gift of Love: Pascal Fessler’s “Return of Judas”
Reflection • Pascal Fessler’s Return of Judas imagines Judas returning after betraying Jesus and asks whether forgiveness is possible. Placing viewers among the disciples, the painting challenges us to confront Christ’s command to love and forgive—even when it feels impossible.
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral (Charleston, South Carolina), March 2026.
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Hamlin’s ‘Eternal Saint’ Jacket Faith, Offense, and Recognition
Reflection • Interprets Damar Hamlin’s “Eternal Saint” jacket as a remix of devotional imagery, hip-hop iconography, and public testimony. Shows why the same image can read as reverence or offense—and what “recognition” asks of viewers.
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral (Charleston, South Carolina), February 2026.
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“Son, why have you treated us like this?”
Reflection • Reads Simone Martini’s depiction of Jesus in the Temple through Luke’s story of misunderstanding, anxiety, and return. Explores how art visualizes tenderness and tension in holy family life without flattening the mystery of Jesus.
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral (Charleston, South Carolina), January 2026.
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Seek and Ye Shall Find! Everett Patterson, “José y Maria” (2014)
Image Search Game • Find the Biblical References
Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral (Charleston, South Carolina), February 2026.
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“Forgive us our Tresspassing”
Reflection • Interprets Banksy’s “Forgive us our trespassing” as a layered meditation on sin, boundary-crossing, and social critique.
Links the street art posture of “ask forgiveness, not permission” to confession, community, and the church’s call to welcome.Originally published in Words of Grace, Grace Church Cathedral (Charleston, South Carolina), October 2025.
