Mixed media (wood, paper, tree, metal). 15.5 x 6 in.

My sons routinely collect sticks when we’re out on walks. They carry handfuls home with them, then inevitably move on to something else, leaving the sticks strewn about our porch. This particular twig seemed an old soul to me, a Bonsai of sorts, and as I went about mounting it against the Corps

Mixed media (wood, paper, tree, metal). 15.5 x 6 in.

My sons routinely collect sticks when we’re out on walks. They carry handfuls home with them, then inevitably move on to something else, leaving the sticks strewn about our porch. This particular twig seemed an old soul to me, a Bonsai of sorts, and as I went about mounting it against the Corps of Engineers blueprint backdrop, I was reminded of the biblical story of Zacchaeus. Though he did not lack for wealth, the man likely lacked close friends, thanks to his line of work. A short and despised man, Zacchaeus risked further alienation by going to such lengths just to catch a glimpse of Jesus walking by. That seems a brave act to me, to not only climb the tree, but to risk even further disgrace and hostility by hosting Jesus in his home for dinner and much-needed conversation and community. Grossly understated interactions such as this vignette reveal over and over again God’s care for, and attention to, the restoration of all manner of things, even those – especially those – that fall outside our own economies or care.