Open To All - An alternative image of nativity
Nativity by Elizabeth Gray-King, one of the paintings that features in Revd Elizabeth Gray King’s touring exhibition. Click on the image to enlarge it.
AT A CAROL SERVICE on Sunday 17th December, hosted by the Open Table Salford community, Kieran the Director of the Open Table Network shared a short reflection inspired by the readings in the service [Isaiah 62:6-12, a poem written for Open Table called Christmas, But Make It Inclusive, and Luke 2.1-20].
The Nativity painting beside the Christmas tree at at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford, which has hosted an Open Table community since 2017. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Kieran also took inspiration from the Open To All exhibition, which Sacred Trinity Church, Salford, is hosting throughout December 2023. In particular, he focused on the largest painting in the collection by Revd Elizabeth Gray King, called Nativity:
Some of the Open Table Salford community who gathered around the Nativity painting after the service. Click on the image to enlarge it.
GOD’S LOVE for each of us - and all of us - is at the heart of the story of Christmas that we hear and celebrate again at this time of year.
God called the prophet Isaiah, who speaks for God in our first reading [Isaiah 62:6-12], to proclaim prophecies of the Messiah, who will liberate God’s people from oppression. He says to them:
‘See, your salvation comes…
and you shall be called, ‘Sought Out… Not Forsaken’
Instead of a psalm after the Old Testament reading as we often have in church, we heard a poem, written specially for Open Table this Christmas by Jo and her wife Georgina from our new community in Colchester. The poem ends:
‘Jesus came to save us all,
And that includes us, too.’
And in the story of the birth of Jesus from Luke’s gospel [Luke 2.1-20] , we hear the angel’s words to the shepherds, who were treated as unclean outcasts in the society into which Jesus was born:
‘Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.’
If just one of those messages speaks to you this Christmas, treasure it as a gift. God came to us in Jesus to show us that we are accepted as we are, unconditionally, and called to be the best we can be, fully human, fully alive, through the grace of God, the empowerment of the Spirit and the example of Jesus. God rejoices, and calls us to rejoice, when everyone is included in a fair and just society.
On the sanctuary at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford, in front of the altar, lectern and advent wreath, is a table draped in a raibow flag, with bright card stars and speech bubbles and a box of felt-tip pens for people to share feedback about the exhibition during the servce. Click on the image to enlarge it.
God’s love for each of us - and all of us - is also at the heart of the Open To All exhibition which Sacred Trinity is hosting this month, by minister, theologian and artist Elizabeth Gray King. The centrepiece of this exhibition is this painting, called Nativity. It’s not a traditional image of the Christmas story, but it does remind us that the Nativity reveals Jesus, the presence of God in humanity, who grew to an adult (not stuck in the ‘sweet’ Nativity narrative) and who as he grew, welcomed all to the eternal place of God.
The full title of the painting is Nativity (Tancred), named after the person whose story inspired it. As Elizabeth’s son helped her stretch the canvas over an old window frame, he told her a story of tragedy and joy about his friend Tancred.
Tancred passed a road accident on the way to school one day and later learned that his mother had died in it. His family fell apart, and he became homeless. The local church gathered around, found him a home, helped him furnish it and cared practically with no demand to confess a faith.
For Elizabeth, who was minister at that church, this became a practical example of new birth, a nativity of a vulnerable one born into a web of care, of life emerging from life, light shocking the darkness, and of fire which does not destroy.
After the service, KIeran collated the stars and speech bubbles on which people wrote their answers to the questions about their image of God and experience of God’s love, in response to the Open To All exhibition. Click on the image to enlarge it.
From this emerged the face of Jesus, with the penetrating stare of an intensely alive person, seeing through all and still deepening friendship with those caught in that sight. It shows Jesus on the cross, yet still living, his body the temple of God, with people of all hues and types streaming, welcome, into that locus of love. There are none stuck on the outside of this temple.
So, I invite you to take some time now to look more closely at this painting, and all of the paintings in the Open To All exhibition, and consider:
how do you see God?
how would you describe God’s love?
Those present took time to look at the exhibition, and responded by writing words or phrases on stars and speech bubbles. Responses included:
God’s love is [the] only one big enough for all of us.
The gaze of God casts out all fear. Simple, perfect love!
God is wild, untamed but all-embracing and ever present.
Loving, welcoming, amazing, creative, kind, strong - God is all these things to me.
God is strong in weakness. God is revitalising and liberating.
God’s love knows no limit.
