Order includes:

• high-res image file formatted for print

• high-res image file formatted for web/projection

• A PDF of the Artist's statements & scripture reference for the visual

• A visio divina Bible Study Guide for you to use this image in a group study session that incorporates the ancient Benedictine spiritual practice of "divine seeing."

Credit Info:

When printing and sharing online, please always include the following credits:
Artist's name | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

From the artist:

In this pulpit parament, drawn with ink on paper, Jesus looks up at the congregation asking, “Really?”

In my unique first glance at this story, looking through the eyes of Peter, I was floored by Jesus’ judgment of Peter in this text (John 13:38). Jesus’s response to Peter sounds harsh coming from a loving God. I think that that is why I was so surprised as I studied the scripture. So I looked deeper to see what Jesus is actually going through, to see where his perspective may be coming from. Trauma. With this lens, my fragile frustration with Jesus is really me centering myself. Jesus is constantly putting himself in harm’s way and now he’s heading toward the cross. Yet, I am still demanding him to be polite to me, not to call my bluff.

Recent research on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) [1] has caught the attention of many educators and doctors. An amazing TED talk by Nadine Burke Harris [2] breaks it down simply: a person’s health predictors change when they are traumatized as a child. A doctor or an educator can better serve their patient or student with an awareness of their ACE score.

My frustration with Jesus unveils my impatience with being treated in a way I consider rude by a person with a high ACE score. My reaction is to push back, to not have sympathy and deference for the real difficulty he is going through.

I wonder in my daily life whose trauma I am still approaching ineffectively. How can I learn from Jesus’ valid impatience with Peter’s empty, well-meaning promises?

—Hannah Garrity

1 ACEs are traumatic childhood events that can lead to mental, physical, and behavioral health issues. You can learn more here: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24875-adverse-childhood-experiences-ace

2 “How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime,” by Nadine Burke Harris. TEDMED. September, 2014. ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=en