[For your convenience, I’ve provided both an audio and a written format of this article at colorofdust.substack.com.]
The artwork of Jack Baumgartner speaks to my heart, and when he shares a piece, I immediately want to start speaking about it, sharing what I see. And then it dawned on me, “Why don’t I?” So, this is my first attempt at sharing “What I see” in Jack’s art.
I chose his woodcarving “Go on Shepherd and Lamb.” When he posted this piece, several people suggested he write an essay about it. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I decided to take up that task (with Jack’s blessing, of course)! Keep in mind that I am an amateur when it comes to art and art interpretation—which will probably make this a lot more interesting. Also, this is fairly analytic. I’m not trying to impress you with my writing or create something beautiful; rather, I’m simply adding ‘footnotes’ to Jack’s art. These are some of my observations, and if you should find them helpful in the least, then I am content.
To go along with this woodcarving, Jack provides this verse from Matthew 18:14, “Even so, it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”
Jack’s Title
Let’s begin with the title. You would think it’d be called “Go on Shepherd,” as if to say, “keep caring for the lambs.” Or, you might think it’d be called “Go on Lamb,” because the lamb is lost or hurt and needs some encouragement. But it’s called “Go on Shepherd and Lamb.” The Holy Spirit is breathing on both terms. Yes, the shepherd is caring for the lamb, perhaps even rescuing it from great danger or lostness. The lamb cannot go on without the shepherd. However, as I look at the anguish and love on the shepherd’s face, I see that he cannot go on without his precious little lamb—look how low he slumps for it. He needs the lamb as much as the lamb needs him. After all, you cannot be a shepherd if you do not have a lamb.
I don’t know if I’m suggesting that our Almighty Creator needs His creation like this shepherd needs his lamb; but I do know that He would not be ‘Creator’ if He had no creation. Somehow, we need both pictures of God if we’re to see Him accurately—which is always to see Him inaccurately.
The ‘Vs’
The first thing I noticed about this woodcarving was the ‘V’ formed by the veins in the shepherd’s right hand. The right hand is the one that brings things close to you. The letter ‘V’ is the Roman numeral five, which stands for the five wounds of Christ: one in each hand, one in each foot, and one in His side. Jack turned a blood vessel into a ‘V,’ a wound, by piercing it with his carving knife. (In a carving, whatever is white has been dug out, so the veins were made by actually piercing the hands.) I can’t imagine what Jack experienced when he did that, as he made those hands. And then he wrapped the right hand of the shepherd around the sheep. The shepherd didn’t jerk back from the pain, but he ‘jerked forward’ in love. I see pain in those hands, whose only relief comes when they feel wool between their fingers at last.
Shepherd’s Staff
The left hand is on the shepherd’s staff. I’m not going to give you all the details about what a shepherd’s crook was used for, but I just want to point out that he is still holding onto it. Why? Perhaps he was so excited to find his sheep that he didn’t think to put it down, he was duly swept up in the moment. Or maybe there is still danger around them, and the good shepherd is remaining vigilant with staff in hand for protection. What I see is how it connects ‘heaven’ to ‘earth.’ In fact, the bottom of the staff is pointing directly to the word ‘earth’ in the banner. The top of the staff extends higher than the head of the shepherd, emphasizing how it aims toward heaven. And, of course, the staff is made of wood, it is a ladder on which angels are racing. Putting these together, every act of love, every rescue, is a cosmic event that re-connects heaven and earth—puts things back together again how they should be. In other words, I see relationship and union, rather than separation, brokennes, and lostness. The staff is covenant.
And yet, the top of the staff, which extends highest to heaven, is bent around like a serpent. This, too, is meaningful, for apart from the ‘ministry’ of the serpent, heaven and earth would remain desperately apart. Just as a fishing hook drags fish out of the sea, so the hook on the end of a crook drags heaven down to earth.
Small Stone
Do you see the rock with the initials JB? Why would Jack Baumgartner put that rock there? The Bible speaks of the ‘stumbling stone’ or the ‘rock of offense.’ Grace is a stumbling stone, a scandalizing stone. People trip over it, because it’s not what they expected it to be—or where they expected it to be! You can’t earn grace, but you must fall over it and into it. Jesus is the stumbling stone, for He is not what anyone expected. I won’t take time to enumerate all the reasons people take issue with Jesus, but they are legion! What I will point out is that the fastest way to get to your knees is to trip over a stumbling stone. Perhaps that’s the real reason Jack put it there, to remind us that all the things that have caused us to fall—to fail, to be brought low, to be humbled, to question, to doubt, to hurt, to be ashamed of—are the things that have brought us back to earth. And remember, “my heart is with those who kneel upon the earth,” so they bring us to God’s heart. We fall into God’s heart more than climb to it. Why did Jack put his initials on the rock? I think I know why, but I’m not going to tell you—yet.
Lunch Pail
On the other side of the kneeling shepherd is a pail with another letter ‘V’ on it. It’s either a lunch pail or a toolbox, I’m not sure which. If it’s a lunch pail, then it reminds me of the eucharist, especially since it has the ‘V.’ Perhaps the shepherd has brought ‘bread and wine’ for his sheep, to help nourish it back to health. If it is a toolbox, then it carries the instruments of the great physician.
Bird
On top of the pail is a bird, which I see as being the Holy Spirit. Just like winged cherubim covered the ark of the covenant, which contained manna, the stone tablets, and Aaron’s staff that budded, so does a winged bird overshadow this lunch ‘ark,’ in the presence of a staff, a stone, and bread (lunch). This makes our shepherd a priest, who is saving a lamb, rather than sacrificing it before the ark. He’s feeding the lamb and sacrificing himself in the act. The Bird-Spirit is not far off, aloof, in the clouds or trees, but she is right by our side to sing encouragement into our hearts.
Winter Trees
Speaking of the trees, notice the leaves have fallen from the trees (there are a few on the trees and two that are falling). Because there is no foliage, you can see dozens and dozens of ‘Vs’ in the trees, formed by the branches. Christ’s wounds are everywhere we look. ‘Tree’ was a euphemism for the cross of Christ. Having no leaves, I see death in those trees. I see hundreds of wounds and crosses—a powerful backdrop to the tender scene in the foreground between a shepherd and his lamb. At the same time, the tree branches are so tightly woven together, that I see them offering protection and shelter. Somehow, Jack made death not so frightening. Even though the trees are dead, they are also alive and at work.
Rescued Lamb
Now look at the lamb. His ears are in the “I’m scared” position, but his eyes are deadlocked on the shepherd. The little lamb knows where to look when he’s frightened. I think that’s the best wisdom of the little lamb: when you don’t know what to do, stop looking at your issues, and stop looking at yourself; instead, look at the good shepherd. And the little hoof of the lamb is in the crook of the shepherd’s arm. I could say much about the split hoof of a lamb, but I will save that for later. I will say how wonderful it is to see this little lamb extending his own ‘arm’ to hold onto the one who is holding onto him. We love because He first loved us. The lamb wants nothing more than to climb the shepherd—to get as close to him as he can possibly get—for he is like the very mountain of God. When you feel God grabbing hold of you, turn and grab hold of Him.
My Heart
The banner says “My heart is with those who kneel upon the earth.” My heart is with those who slow down, who notice (what’s below), who pause what they want to be doing. My heart is with those who get dirty for others, who embrace the lost, who carry burdens for the weak. My heart is with those who are lowly in spirit, who make sacrifices, who do things for those who cannot pay them back. My heart is with those who offer their own wounded hands, who take as much time as another needs, who let themselves be loved in return—even if only by a stray hoof. My heart is with those who know they came from dirt, who know they are going to return to dirt, and who don’t reach too high in between.
When was the last time you knelt upon the earth? Mine was to repair a small crack in the foundation of our home. What was yours? What is your one little task? What causes you to kneel, when everyone else would simply pass by? Whose are the little bleats your ears are attuned to? Who needs your staff and strength? It is important to the kingdom of God. Keep doing it. Go on.
Back to the Stone
Now look again at the stone with the initials. Does it remind you of anything? It reminds me of a tombstone. Jack put his own name on the tombstone. Can we? My heart is with those who lose their life in order to find it, and who say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
The face of the shepherd is filled with deep love and agony. Here is the last thing I see. I see another Shepherd who knelt in a garden in love and agony, praying what to do. Should He drink the cup of God’s wrath? Or should He forget about the lost sheep. Should He save Himself? Or should he save others. As great drops of blood fell to the ground because of this decision, He resolved, “Not my will but Yours be done.”
Yet He was both the Shepherd and the sheep. Go on Shepherd and Lamb.
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