Crosses of Mine

This cross series was not meant to promote a specific religion nor, generally-speaking, any religion at all.  It was meant to address the issue of freedom of thought.  How so?

Series of Acrylics on Paper

Let’s start with those who we consider today’s great leaders of thought.  From our Pope Francis promoting a smarter Catholic faith, one which includes elements of both reason and empathy, contradicted by the thoughts of self-described, Christian-American politicians^* and their arcane treatment of women seeking abortions, we are in an age encompassed by spiritual upheavals, both in religion and secularly.  

In whole populations around the world, it is resulting the opening of the eyes of those who are not in positions of power and influence.  Likewise, it is resulting in the opening of the minds of new generations and those open-minded enough to question their own beliefs.  It’s resulting in a thing the news media calls the “Culture Wars.”  It’s happening throughout the world and it goes like this.  

There are those who recognize the humanity of every being and those who not only don’t recognize humanity (outside themselves) but are succeeding in taking away a crucial element of humanity, i.e., freedom of thought.  They do this while claiming to be worshipping the same cross that bears down on the rest of us and, especially, the weakest among us. ^*

We could say that crosses people bear are like snowflakes—in that it’s as individual, personal and unique as there have ever been people on this planet.  It’s also perpetually changing.  

Crosses, literally, and the crosses that people figuratively bear in their lives change in appearance throughout the course of lifetimes.  At any given moment, your cross could be yourself in a state of blissful emotion, or your faith in others could be suddenly shattered, or your belief in your own spirituality could be gaining weight.  Crosses at births are viewed far closer to celebrations while crosses at death may be viewed as passage keys for those meeting their makers.  In the end, crosses, like gods, look different to different people at different times in history and even at different times of the day.  

No one human being could possibly claim to know the full truth of all that is our universe, even Einstein knew that, but if we are unable to express that sort of perception, we are not all free with thought.  For example, the actions over the past few years that self-described, Christian-American politicians^* have used to mistreat and neglect the disadvantaged in the United States speaks worlds to the hypocrisy that is a lot of our leadership today.  

While on one side of their mouths they speak wholly religious banalities (at least to those who have read their Bibles), on the other side they’re speaking of preventing women from privacy with their doctors, such as is the case with Virginia’s “Governor Ultrasound.”  On the other side, they’re speaking of dismantling union strength, making people more competitive (as though you could get anymore competitive than Americans), and their making a mockery of a still young United States.  And they have succeeded.

Do our insane American leaders know the ramifications of their extreme ideologies?  Do they really not know that each spiritual person, even spiritual atheists, believe they are worshipping “THE great god” of creation and that those thoughts, those perceptions, and those beliefs are the ones that are of most value to each being?

Pope Francis uses his own position to quiet down the silly discussions dumped on the spiritual by some of our most ludicrous leaders.^*  These are the same ones who want us to think that the forest is what’s important when actually it’s the neediest of trees who need their freedom of think.  Doesn’t it make sense that those who might have to put their crosses down a second to deal with their individual lives should have the same rights as our narcissistic politicians?^*

^* You know who you are!