The Church That Shines in the Distance
One of the largest paintings I ever did captures a scene reminiscent of back roads on the Eastern shore of Maryland. Traveling down a country road, I’d often look out over the mostly flat landscape and spy a solitary church on the crest of a gentle knoll. Those churches seemed to be welcoming me home.
I began painting Country Church in 1979, shortly after World Wide Pictures released the Joni movie. After a whirlwind of new experiences as I reenacted the story of my accident, I was back to the regular routines of life on the family farm. In the mornings, my sister Jay would sit me up in my chair and all day long my niece and her friends ran in and out, the screen door slamming behind them. Sundays would find us at church in our usual pew, surrounded by friends who well-remembered the days when I was still on my feet.
The warmth of Christian fellowship grounded me as I reflected on the long months of filming my story. It steadied me as I moved forward with starting Joni and Friends. I wanted to bring true, lasting hope to people living with disabilities and I knew that could only come through the church.
These ideas inspired my ambitious undertaking of painting Country Church. On such a large canvas, I couldn’t possibly reach every corner with my brush held between my teeth. Instead, this project required someone to flip my canvas from edge to edge as I brushed on layer after layer. The first layer was a hot, glowing sunset, using lots of orange and yellow. Then, after that layer dried, I thinned my paint and added layers of cooler tones, as if a chilly wind was pushing clouds to block the warmth of the sun.
I wanted the little church to stand out amidst a wild, windy sky and foreboding landscape. The viewer’s eye, like a wanderer, travels restlessly over the painting until it settles on the tiny church. There it receives a glad welcome home. There it finds shelter and a place to rest.
Friend, if chilly storms or winds of adversity have pushed gray clouds across the warm sunshine in your life, fix your eyes on the promise of rest that I convey in Country Church. For the church of Christ – and that includes you – will stand.
– Joni Eareckson Tada
What Does It Look Like To Persevere In Trials?
Joni Eareckson Tada reflects on how enduring chronic pain and trials became opportunities to embrace God’s grace and cultivate perseverance, transforming her outlook and deepening her faith.
