I met a man who refused to turn away from the suffering of another human being, no matter the cost to himself. But he didn’t set out to become a hero.
Jesus
The Children Are All Ours
“The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe” (James Baldwin)
An Invitation to an Upside Down Kingdom: Those Who Mourn…
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted No one chooses the path of mourning, do they? Life has its own way of thrusting each of us into the valley of tears. Who would deliberately seek it out? When my father died, his departure shocked and shook me to the core. The current…Read more An Invitation to an Upside Down Kingdom: Those Who Mourn…
An Invitation to an Upside Down Kingdom: Poverty of Spirit…
Beatitudes In the Cracks; 2017; 15″ x 19.5″; mixed media: oil pastel, charcoal, litho pencil, acrylic, watercolor. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3) Skin and bones hover on the bed in an uneasy truce between life and death; neither dominating for the time being. Waking or…Read more An Invitation to an Upside Down Kingdom: Poverty of Spirit…
Healing to Become A Healer
Around the world, I’ve discovered a universal truth in my work as Director of Orphan Care for Hope’s Promise. And in my role as a parent, family member, and friend. As a human. Trauma wounds. But attachment heals. Flight of the Kambu: from wounded to healed; 2024; 15.5" x 8.25"; mixed media: watercolor, acrylic, ink,…Read more Healing to Become A Healer
Jerusalem
Jerusalem; 2024; 19.5" x 25.5"; mixed media: watercolor, ink, chalk, acrylic. Three of us walk its busy streets at dusk, life pulsing all around. Cars revving, children laughing as they swing in a park, light fading over a vast city. We follow our map down a quieter lane to an obscure gate in a wall,…Read more Jerusalem
An Open Letter to al Shabab, and a Painting in Honor of the Kenyans Who Died
You cannot put out the light. It is like an unruly spark. When you try to suppress it, it divides into a thousand flying embers. You thought you extinguished the light when they lay dead at your feet, no longer praying to the God you despise; but look around, it ignites in my heart! It…Read more An Open Letter to al Shabab, and a Painting in Honor of the Kenyans Who Died
Sifted Into Gold
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Peter Denies Jesus Luke 22:59-62 Then about an hour later still another…Read more Sifted Into Gold
Just to Touch the Hem
Nairobi, June 2005 She refused to eat. Her forehead felt warm. She cried incessantly. Nothing alleviated her discomfort. As a sojourning foreigner, I lacked even the name of a pediatrician in Kenya, much less contact information. Even if I knew who to call, I couldn’t easily access transport. My one solace – I knew that…Read more Just to Touch the Hem
Colleen Briggs Images & Writing 