18″x18″ oil with wax on canvas, embedded sea salt

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Almost 3 millennia ago, a prophet of Yahweh called Elisha declared these words: “This is what the LORD says, ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.'”

This painting implies a question: is there toxic water trickling into my soul? What is irrigating my life, my community? Water that appears clean and sparkling can contain unseen chemicals, bacteria, and parasites. The same is true of what contaminates my heart. May I hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit telling me of my need to repent from the hidden sins of my soul, attitudes that pollute my life and negatively impact my family, my friends, and my neighborhood. In this passage from the Old Testament, God used common salt to heal the waters. How often does the Lord use the simplicity of a single salty tear of repentance initiate the cleansing process of my soul?