Kevin Bacon and the Pope
They say you are six degrees from anyone in the world - or Kevin Bacon. I seem to lead a Forrest Gump kind of life that makes that number a little inflated. Case in point is this picture of the Pope (THE POPE!) having a conversation about a piece of my art. What?!
Here’s the story: my international brother lives in Hannover, Germany and is the Executive Secretary of Communications for the World Communion of Reformed Churches (whew…mouthful). His organization, a year before the 500th anniversary of Luther doing that Luther thing, had the opportunity to have an audience with the Pope (THE POPE!) in the Vatican where they affirmed common ground – loving the poor, the refugees, the marginalized (and other cool stuff like that). Earlier this year they commissioned me to do a piece of art (in anticipation of the 500th) that they have replicated and present when they visit places. They gave it to the Pope (THE POPE!)!
Now, I dream BIG, but this one wasn’t even on my Bucket List because who gets their art presented to the Pope (THE POPE!)? I won’t lie – my eyes may have gotten a little misty when I saw this picture. But here’s what I want to say about this: who cares about 6 degrees? Yep, it’s cool to be in the collections of famous people, and it is an absolute honor to have my art brought to the Vatican, but the bottom line is that the reason I do art is to share it with Anyone and Everyone. The painting I created was one of people nurturing fruit and then sharing it with the world. That’s a message I’d like to share with Kevin Bacon, the Pope and Everyone-in-Between because I am called to share Good News with Kevin Bacon, the Pope and Everyone-in-Between. I’d like to think that this incredible man (THE POPE) appreciated the sentiment.
