Sheltering -- Timothy Schmalz
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,
for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2 NRSVue
Timothy Schmalz is a Canadian sculptor who seems to have developed a special relationship with the Vatican. Several of his works are now in prominent places around Vatican City, including his latest called Sheltering. A figure on the ground is covered by a blanket placed by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove -- a pigeon by another name. All of them address the human plight and God's tender regard for "the least of these."
Another is called Angels Unawares and depicts migrants in a boat looking toward...what, a new land, hope?
I had a conversation with Timothy a few years ago when he first came to prominence through a sculpture now known as Homeless Jesus. It was cast a number of times and installed in various cities, often on the grounds of churches. On a couple of occasions snow covered the sculpture and because it is life-sized concerned people phoned police often enough that they issued public reassurances that this wasn't an actual human being.
Out of our conversation Timothy generously sent me a model of Homeless Jesus which as I write is perhaps half a metre from my keyboard. In the photo below I'm holding it my hand for scale. Despite its proximity I stop seeing it which is often the reality with people on the margins of society. We notice them when they are considered intrusive or troublesome or upsetting.
An article in Religion News Service offers:
In “Sheltering,” Schmalz said, he chose not to feature Jesus but instead to make “the Holy Spirit the hero of the sculpture.” “I didn’t want Christianity to get in the way of the Christian message,” he said, explaining that the dove, as a universal symbol of peace and spirituality, could be more approachable to non-Christians.
While homeless people and birds are common sights in cities, he said that bringing the two together offers a message that usually escapes urban dwellers, often buried in their phones. “The actual homeless person is not shocking people,” Schmalz said, adding that if his sculpture can capture the increasingly volatile attention of people, “then it’s a great use of artwork.”
In the same article Schmalz says that he's bringing his creativity to Pope Francis’ green encyclical “Laudato Si”, translating the text into something that can be read through the eyes.
Homeless Jesus
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