The Shadow of Religion
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David Berry, 2002
acrylic on canvas, 24" x 18"
Based on The Church at Auvers by Vincent Van Gogh (1890)
Part of the Relgion Paintings Series.
Religion is an undercurrent in our lives. Every culture has some moral foundation and a tradition of believe that is dominant. Religion is not simply a dogma and ritual, it is a way of thinking about our place and interface as an individual with the rest of our family, community and nature. Virtually any idea we have about who we are and our place in the world has some root in religious philosophy. God walks ahead of the shadow and is not just within the confines of religion itself. Nonetheless, the shadow is a grand source of genuine spiritual influence in our personal lives, if we look.
In the United States, where separation of church and state is so prized, our government and laws are based on concepts of equity and justice that have roots in Judeo-Christian philosophy. Even the idea of the separation of church and state is Biblical. In other parts of the world, where other religions dominate history, values and even common sense are noticeably different.
The shadow is not always a bad thing, but it is always a necessary thing. Religion teaches us our morals and ethics. It explains how the world works in a ways that are critical to survival. It tells us how to get along, what we should do as a citizen and how to feel about experiences. While we may not be aware of the effect of Religion in our lives, morality and our sense of who we are most often is defined by our religious influences.
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