Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Where is God?

Artist: Walter Gramatté

Oh, my. It is a very short quotation that I'm bringing you today but it is one that pierces my heart - truly.

O Lord, I am further away from me than from You!

-- Sorin Cerin

I am happy to have found the quotation. Happy, as well, to have found out about its author.

This quotation reminds me that St. John of the Cross emphasized the teaching that to know oneself is to know God. He was not at all saying that the self is identical to God. No, he was saying that the only obstacle to knowing God is the self.
~~~

3 comments:

  1. A painting that is at once poignant, sad and beautifully rendered. I love the colors. I just Googled the artist because the scene looks as if this painting could have been done in Newfoundland. But I suppose there are many seaside communities that would provide similar scenes. I see, however, that Gramatte was German. His other works, at least those displayed on the site I went to, lead me to think he may have been depressed a good deal of the time.

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  2. I'm really glad you like it, Tom. I actually found that painting a long time ago and was very moved by it but didn't have, at the time, an appropriate post planned to use it on so I've been saving it all this time. Somehow, it just seemed to go with the Cerin quote. (At least it seemed so to me.)

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