I was asked to do a painting for the Wilson Abbey Windows (Chicago's largest Advent calendar) in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. This year's series is titled "The Soul Felt Its Worth", and focuses on people who are often unseen. I decided to paint a woman crossing the Darien Gap to seek asylum—a thing no one does unless they are desperate. It is controlled by cartels and the likelihood of rape and death are very high. She is a Hagar figure—the pregnant woman in Genesis who flees abuse, choosing the desert over what is behind her. She stands quietly in the water as the sun breaks through the trees on either side, in a brief moment of peace. She is hesitant to trust it, but she is seen. 

I thought especially about how some interpreters blame Hagar for her circumstances. She “despised” Sarai and made her angry, after all. I see the same happen with the many migrants who have come here from Venezuela. People want “perfect victims”, and no one is a perfect victim. Hagar was not, and I’ve come to appreciate that part of the story more. God sees her and has compassion regardless.

It's been nearly 5 years since I attempted painting a person large, so it was a bit intimidating! I was pulling from different sources so it was difficult to get the lighting right. I also have a toddler and am in the middle of a big transition. All that to say this isn't my best work! But I'm glad I did it, if only to be reminded that I can. A special thank you to Karl Sullivan for the opportunity. 

The Wilson Abbey Advent Windows were featured on ABC7 Chicago. Listen to Karl talk about the series here!