Mane Highlights for Friday April 4, 2014

Hear Me Roar!: I am convinced that people on the West Coast are able to be far more productive than us poor saps on the East Coast, who are subject to dark and dreary days and lingering winters.  Supposedly these conditions are ideal for writers, however we know from history that writers fueled by darkness don't last too long.  

With that said, we have had a few wonderful days of Spring weather!  I am sure that I have accomplished more in those few days than I have for the last several weeks.  I am beginning to believe that I am in fact solar powered, and my fuel is vitamin D.

I decided to tackle a big one for this week's reflection.  The biblical story of the woman at the well has intrigued me for some time, and I finally had the motivation to dig deeper and flesh it out.  I am sure there is even more to the account than I have uncovered, but that is the beauty of reflection, that there is always something more waiting to be discovered.

        Reflection of the Week: A Samaritan Woman Alone at Jacob's Well

I have long been baffled by the biblical story of the Samaritan woman at the well.  How are we to interpret this strange encounter of Jesus and a Gentile woman alone at a well?  Couldn't we just avoid this uncomfortable episode altogether, in which he confronts her about her personal love life? Continue

For more reflections: http://lionofdesign.blogspot.com/p/about.html

Gallery Piece of the Week: Woman at the Well

Carl Heinrich Bloch was a Danish artist who developed a historical style while studying in Italy.  He was left a widower with eight children while his wife was still young, and he experienced great sorrow over this loss. Block painted 23 scenes of the life of Christ for the Frederiksborg Palace in Denmark, between 1865-1879.

I chose this piece out of all the depictions of the woman at the well, because I thought it best captured the scene.  I imagine that the woman would have been quickly gathering her water, avoiding the unexpected Jewish man sitting at the well.  She would have been taken off guard when Jesus began to engage her in conversation and most likely would have been reserved and even startled at first.  

Jesus remains seated in a non-threatening posture, however he is direct in his words and commanding in authority as a teacher.  He allows the woman to hear him and choose him.  

To see more works: http://lionofdesign.blogspot.com/p/gallery.html

Dynamic Quote: 

"To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect."

~Oscar Wilde

I leave you with this until next week:

"Women don't want to hear what you think.  Women want to hear what they think - in a deeper voice."

~Bill Cosby