Howard Thurman and the Quest for Community:
From Prodigals to Compassionate Samaritans
This post is about chapter 7, which begins the discussion of Thurman and the parable of the Good Samaritan. This post includes one of my favorite mediations from Thurman and a "slow looking" approach to the Good Samaritan painting by James Janknegt.
Thurman Meditation
In “We Are All Indebted” (March 26, 1965), Thurman reflects on the “stranger” to whom he dedicates his autobiography, the paradigmatic Good Samaritan who, in Thurman’s view, totally changed his life. We are all indebted to a host of Good Samaritans—known and unknown—and we are all connected one to another and responsible one for another.
Take a few minutes and listen to this meditation. Hearing Thurman is a much deeper experience than just reading his words.
Visual Art Reflection
James B. Janknegt, Portrait of YOU as the Good Samaritan
Unlike previous posts, where I offered some analysis and directed you to some of my other publications on the art work, this time I'd like for you to examine the visual art on your own in a "slow looking" way.
Thurman believed that artistic expression—visual art, music, dance, theater, film—can stimulate heightened spiritual consciousness and bring diverse people together on common ground. Artistic expression can also enrich and deepen our understanding of the subjects it engages, including biblical texts. In this case, I want you to explore your own imaginations.
A more focused “slow looking” approach would be to consider the title of the painting, then focus on the figures in the painting from left to right, and, after discussing those representations, come back to the meaning of the title. What do YOU think it means?
It was Nancy Gowler who recommended that I share with others the slow looking” guide by Claire Brown, some details of which are noted below.
Start with observations and descriptions by examining the work slowly and carefully. What catches your eye? What do you notice? Does anything surprise you? Take a few minutes and write down everything that you notice in the work. Share those elements with a discussion group (or partner). Reflect also on the setting—colors, shapes, lines, figures, movements, textures, the foreground and background—and think about how you would describe this work to someone who had never seen it.
What questions does the piece of visual art raise? What emotions and thoughts emerge as you gaze upon the image? If the image includes representations of people, try to place yourself in the situation of the different people portrayed and imagine their perspectives.
After this close examination and description, now consider how you think the image works. What are the various parts of the image and their purposes? Do they work together to aid interpretation? How does the visual art engage with, interpret, or add to the story it seeks to represent?
What, for you, does this image mean? What details, parts, or overall aspects of the image lead you to this conclusion?
Finally, for you, what does this piece of visual art want? What do you think is it trying to convince you to think, believe, or do?
After doing that, if it helps, you can check out how the artist describes it (also found here).
