For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
I remember looking at my newborn baby daughter and marvelling at this little bundle of joy. As she grew up, I wondered what she would want to do with her life. I always prayed and hoped that she would be fine, whatever lay ahead, and that God would watch over her.
Mary and Joseph would have had their own hopes for their newborn baby, Jesus, but I wonder if they fully understood that He truly was, is, and always will be, the only and eternal hope of the world. Centuries before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah had foretold of His divine nature and of this hope. Two thousand years later, there continues to be endless testimonies of Jesus still saving and restoring hope to broken lives.
I remember a particularly sad time in my life when I would keep my windows and curtains closed all day, as I couldn’t bear to see or hear people laughing and enjoying themselves. I felt alone and forgotten. Then somehow, I became strangely aware of God ‘s love for me, and I would keep telling Him how rotten I felt, and in turn I was comforted by His knowing all about my struggle. Gradually I found a renewed hope, a resolve and courage to take steps out of the ‘cocoon’ and start to be able to connect with people again.
Now I do rather like the sound of laughter; my own and others’, for it reminds me of that journey from despair to hope. I know that Jesus is always with me, my everlasting Father and friend who knows everything about me. I know that He nudges and helps me back to hope and positivity when I’m down. I know that because all authority rests on His shoulders (and thankfully not mine) good is a possible outcome from an impossibly bad situation. I know that I don’t have to be burdened by worry and can experience His peace even in the face of adversity.
Daily Share
The ‘daily share’ is a hint each day for how you could share some hope in your life, today.
Can you share hope today by a phone call to someone you haven’t heard from in a while? Or perhaps offer a smile or simple hello to a stranger you pass by, or say a quiet prayer for them? Your actions may just be the cord that pulls their curtains of darkness open and lets the light of Jesus into their heart and situation.
Adenike Hyde
Adenike lives in Hove and enjoys walking and doing jigsaw puzzles in her spare time.
Suzanne is a semi-abstract, contemporary landscape painter and a teacher. She is inspired by the land, sea and big skies. She paints in oils and mixed-media from memory and experience, and her work is developed using artistic intuition. She says ‘my greatest loves are atmospheric weather and fleeting light and this I try to capture in my work, through my own emotional response.
Sarah is an award-winning Illustrator, author and painter. With an illustration career spanning 18 years, Sarah has illustrated for many clients including Kew Gardens, IKEA and The Guardian. Her staple work comes from illustrating funny children’s books. Her latest book CHARLIE CHANGES INTO A CHICKEN is the best selling debut middle grade book of 2019.
Martina is an artist and theology student with a background in professional photography and this is her second time exhibiting at TRINITY. Her photographic work this year considers how experiencing the world through digital media has changed our perception of it, while her community sculpture project invites to look inward and explore themes of holiness and wholeness.
John Norris is an aspiring part time metal sculptor from Hurstpierpoint. He bought a welder in December 2018 and started tinkering in his spare time. He dreams of one day being able to make a full time career out of metal sculpting. The pieces on display at the Lewes Art Wave festival are still some of his very first creations!
Suzanne Hennegrave is a semi-abstract, contemporary landscape painter and a teacher. She is inspired by the land, sea and big skies. She paints in oils and mixed-media from memory and experience and her work is developed using artistic intuition.
Although I have been sculpting in clay for many years, it was as a mature student that I went to study ceramics at Falmouth College of Art. Returning to Sussex I set up my own studio producing figurative stoneware sculpture. Singers, dancers, performers, some written over with sonnets or songs, my work reflects my love of literature and my early career in the theatre. I constantly go back to basics, which for me is an endless exploration of the human form.
The theme of Communication for this exhibition is a broad one. Visibly, verbally and tangibly, art is the great communicator, giving us fresh insight into the human condition. I like the image in the bible of the body being the temple of the soul. I hope these quiet abstract nudes have a meditative quality - meditation being perhaps one of the purest forms of communication.
The other two figures were inspired by events in the life of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago, but they are very modern tragedies. A Syrian refugee, her child in her arms and her possessions on her back, flees her country. A mother cradles her son after violence on a Hackney street. Only you, the viewer can say what, if anything they communicate, but if you have paused to look and wonder for a moment why these things happen, then thank you.
Martina was struck by the stories of pain, suffering and incredible strength and integrity she discovered just among friends and family. All hidden behind the socially acceptable facade of: ‘I’m fine’.
For this series she has photographed women with a hidden illness or trauma. The women choose a flower, branch or other foliage to represent the fact that there is more to discover than can be seen on the outside. The choice of foliage or its positioning may reveal something about their illness or struggle and how it affects their relationships and identity.
Jo Marks is a British figurative artist. Using graphic lines, her chalk and charcoal drawings are developed from a fascination with the human form.
Her unedited marks reflect the energy and urgency with which the subject was observed. Whether these marks are intuitively abstract or more true to life, they always express an authentic understanding of form.
While Jo tries to reflect this sense of dichotomy in her carefully balanced compositions, she also aims to ensure her work brings a sense of peace. “Knowing when to stop is a huge challenge, I never want to over-bake my pieces but instead reflect the joy with which they were made.”
