Strength and Courage

Courage in the Bible is rarely the absence of fear. It is what people do when they are afraid and go forward anyway, because they are not alone. This collection gathers the verses people reach for in those moments. Joshua stands above the Jordan at dawn, about to lead a nation into unknown country, with the command to be strong and of a good courage. Young David stands over the fallen Goliath, sling in hand, declaring that the battle is the Lord's. An eagle rises over mountains at sunrise for Isaiah 40:31.

Other paintings use the language of defense. A hilltop fortress with an eagle overhead, Jesus on a rocky height at sunset for Psalm 18, and Jesus on a summit above a river valley for Philippians 4:13. Two still lifes illustrate the Armor of God from Ephesians 6: a sword, a round shield and a belt on a rock, and a bronze shield of faith with an olive branch. Two scenes on the water answer fear directly. In one Jesus rows a small boat through the waves; in the other he stands and calms the storm with “Peace, be still.”

The collection ends with the Lion of Judah, once alone on a rock above the hills and once with a lamb sleeping against its paws. These prints are often chosen for a son leaving home, a soldier, a first responder, a coach, or someone beginning treatment. They look at home in a study, an office, a garage workshop or a teenager's room, and the fortress and the lion pair well as a set.