Lenten Devotional for Home
Vincent Van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent
“Vincent van Gogh devoted his life to light. The light of creation, the light of painting, the light of God’s grace – and the light in humanity, mind, body, and soul. The son of a Christian pastor, Vincent fervently set out to be a preacher and missionary himself, but his ministry eventually took the form of brush strokes and canvases: in just ten years of his short life, from age 27 to 37, he created more than 2000 luminous works of art – including nearly 900 paintings – shimmering with vitality, with passion, and above all, with light.
The word “Lent” refers to the “lengthening” light, the growing days that, in time, will coax the sunflowers to open, the wheat fields to rise again, and the irises to bloom. What better companion on this forty-day pilgrimage, then, than this apostle of light: an artist steeped in Christianity and yet open to learning from Buddhism, enamored with Jesus and at the same time adventurous enough to find God in mysteries, humility, and love, not certainties, arrogance, or privilege.
In this Lenten devotional, the words of Scripture and the paintings and letters of Vincent van Gogh will be our guides. Each week, biblical texts and Van Gogh’s work throw light on each other, pointing toward simple, powerful practices you can try yourself, with your family or friends, or with your congregation.
So grab your favorite Bible and a decent internet connection (all the paintings referenced here can be found online; click on the hyperlinked painting titles to visit them). Week by week, we’ll travel this Lenten journey together toward Easter morning – and thereby do our part to help lengthen the light, humble our hearts, and open our eyes to the beauty of God’s springtime resurrection.” Lenten Devotional Introduction