The Road to Emmaus: Episode 21 - Arts Wednesday - The Vine

It's Wednesday, May 6 and the gospel reading for the week in the liturgy of the Christian Community is John 15:1-27.  This is the moment when Christ Jesus imparts the great mystery purpose of his coming to earth: to establish a new bloodline.

The podcast today speaks about this in connection with the word, "I am the Vine, you are the branches" (John 15:5).  The images below can be contemplated in connection with the audio and the gospel text.

(Icon of 'Christ the Vine', 16th Century)

(The Apse Mosaic above the altar in the cathedral San Clemente in Rome from the 1130s revealing Christ on the Cross as the vine/tree of life, bringing the paradisal powers of the Primal Garden to Earth)

Jesus himself was an artist who painted through those who wrote his story, the gospel writers.  In the image of the vine that John gives us we have one of the most profound imaginations of the secrets of Christ Community.

I leave you with a recent discovery I made of what I consider a revelation of this vine/tree: this extraordinary image of the new 'family tree' that comes out of the Shaker tradition:

(The quote from Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers in the 18th Century in America, under the Tree: You can never enter the Kingdom of God with hardness against any one, for God is love, and if you love God you will love one another.)

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The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together,” and the legacy of our original show-notes and patreon producer, Camilla Lake.