Art has a way of engaging the heart and sense of being differently than the written word or song. Emmanuel Garibay’s paintings often portray victims of injustice bearing the mark of Jesus, which is a way of both affirming the image of God in all people, and an illustration of Jesus’ alignment with the suffering.
Engaging issues of justice necessitates the acknowledgement of the recent and horrific victimization of our Asian American sisters and brothers throughout the pandemic. Historically, the insidious nature of systems of supremacy have pitted people of color against one another based on their proximity to whiteness. This image is an invitation to consider the ways in which we all “crucify” one another.
Visio Divina (Latin for divine seeing) is a prayer exercise in which you ask God to speak to the eyes of your heart as you meditate on an image. The image can be artwork, a photograph, a scene, or even an icon.
As you gaze at the painting below, consider the questions in quiet reflection. Some parts may speak to you while others may not. Allow about 5 minutes of contemplation per section, but there are no hard and fast rules. Simply be present to the image and allow God to speak to your heart without any particular agenda.
