Illustrated Verse of the Month

The verse represented in this month’s illustrated verse is the ESV (English Standard Version) of 2 Corinthians 5:7, which reads:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
In preparation for this month’s painting, I was researching what causes are brought to our attention during October; I noticed they are meant to bring awareness to a variety of ailments. One of the first things to catch my eye was that this month is Blindness Awareness Month. This was what inspired my choice of the verse 2 Corinthians 5:7. As I continued my research, I also noticed that this month is Global Diversity Awareness Month; this inspired me to try to show how ailments aren’t always visible on the outside and that you may not always be able to recognize what people are going through simply by their appearance. This was important to me because I know we are all often guilty of associating certain people with specific conditions or disabilities. I hope that through this illustration, we can all become more aware of what people might be going through and thus strengthen our empathy for every person that comes across our path.
Before I explain, here is a list of the causes that are represented through this painting, starting with Global Diversity and following by their order from left to right:
Global Diversity Month
National ADHD Awareness Month
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
National Bullying Prevention Month
Blindness Awareness Month
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
National Critical Illness Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Depression Education and Awareness Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
AIDS Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” has been a verse that has been very close to my heart ever since I illustrated it for Lent 2 years ago, and I thought it would fit perfectly with the idea I had for this month’s art. As you’ll notice, the phrase “We Walk” is used repeatedly. I made this artistic choice because I think we can often focus on our challenges or the challenges of those closest to us, which can cause us to mentally categorize and compare our struggles to those of other people. In homage to October being Global Diversity Month, and in understanding our tendency to make quick judgments, I wanted to take this opportunity to emphasize the unity that can come from all of us recognizing and working together to mutually support each other through our struggles.
I think focusing on this solidarity and unification can be a beautiful representation of how we as Christians are joined across languages, incomes, nationalities, and even political parties by our love for God and our recognition of his sacrifice on the cross to save us from our sins. Knowing that we live in a sinful, broken world, I believe it is our job to continue to walk by faith through all that these troubling times bring us, holding tightly on the hands of all our neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope this article and illustration serve as a reminder to work together for the betterment of our communities, nations, and world as a whole, through recognizing the wrongs we’ve committed towards each other and striving to mend the bonds broken in the process.