The St. John's Bible-The Life of Paul

The Life of Paul, 2002

 Acts 15:1-41

 Donald Jackson in collaboration with Aidan Hurt 

and contributions from Andrew Jamieson

Scribe: Brian Simpson

Vellum, with ink, pain and gold

"Although Paul was not among the original 

twelve followers of Jesus, 

God designated him the apostle to the Gentiles, 

and he traveled as a missionary 

throughout the Near East.

 He is posed here in the manner

 of classical Greek  statues.

 A prayer shawl draped over his shoulders

 indicates his upbringing as a devout Jew. 

Surrounding him are secular

 and sacred buildings from nearly 

every historical period

 of the last two thousand years, 

symbolizing the continuation in North America

 of Christian missionary efforts.

The Stella Maris Chapel

 of Saint John's Abbey (upper right) 

signifies the Benedictines' missionary work

 in Minnesota.

Because he made several sea voyages 

and was once shipwrecked, 

Paul stands before a Greco-Roman sailing vessel. 

An energetic church builder,

 he holds a model of a church.

 It recalls Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, 

the city where he was martyred

 under the emperor Nero. 

The words at the top,

"I saw a light from heaven" (26:13), 

refer to Paul's conversion. 

Those across the bottom proclaim

 this divine mission: 

"The Lord has commanded us, saying,

I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, 

so that you may bring salvation

 to the ends of the earth." (13:47)."

Oh, Heavenly Father, 

give us the passion to see

 where your message is Light 

to someone we KNOW.

Amen.