From the Artist

Paul’s letter is filled to the brim with affection, and models perfectly his prayer for the reader to live and move in the world from a foundation of overflowing love. 

When I began creating this image, the reaching, mirrored hands of the Close to Home logo emerged for me as a way to reference Paul’s outstretched, compassionate posture toward the Philippians as well as Paul’s hope for the reader to mirror that Christ-like embodiment. How do we determine what is best? We constantly strive, extending our hands and stretching our fingertips to get a grasp of the person of Jesus, having our lives transformed in love along the way.

When I considered the metaphor of harvest that Paul provides, I knew I wanted to use botanical and fruit imagery. All of the flowers symbolize different kinds of love: Coltsfoot flowers representing maternal love and care, Forget-Me-Nots imaging faithful love and undying memory, and Heliotrope meaning eternal love and devoted attachment. At the center of the piece, the object of the hand’s reaching is a pomegranate, bursting open with seeds. Throughout history, pomegranates have been used as a symbol for royalty because of their richness of color and flavor, and for the crown-like shape on the end of the fruit. At times, this fruit was used as a symbol for Christ and resurrection as well. The split-open fruit with seeds spilling out represents Christ breaking out of the tomb. The hands are ready to receive the knowledge and full insight of Christ and to be nourished by the harvest of righteousness. 

—Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman

 Appleton, LeRoy H., and Stephen Bridges. Symbolism in Liturgical Art. New York: Scribner, 1969.