Metamorphosis
Great conversation on the last post. If your just checking this out its worth it to see the discussion still going under, "the Challenge".
This image was only mentioned at the early service, but the symbolism is too awesome not to share with everyone...
The sculpture is called "metamorphosis". It is owned by a courageous missionary serving in a prison in Paraguay. This is an extremely corrupt place where people are murdered on a regular basis, guards are bought and deadly weapons abound.
Short story is that when men in this prison give their lives to Christ, as a symbol of their changed lives and hearts they turn over their weapons to John (the missionary). John took three years worth of weapons and with the help of a sculpture put them together as a image of hope and love. It is called metamorphosis because, what it did, "was to transform these weapons of hatred into weapons of love."
Food for thought. What an awesome image of giving up, surrending that which gets in the way of truly seeing what God has called us to be. What an example of a changed heart. Let's pray for this missionary and pray that we would have the courage to turn over the daggers in our hearts.
If you want to read the article by John on this image, click on, "read more"
Asuncion, Paraguay
Ordinarily when one thinks of daggers, one thinks of death and bloodshed, and even more so when thinking about the largest men's prison in Paraguay were deaths among inmates are not uncommon. Strange as it may seem, these defense and attack weapons, can be transformed into a language of love, a true metamorphosis.
Jonathan Beachy, who with his wife and family has lived in Paraguay for over 30 years, is one of the pastors in the "Libertad" (Freedom) Church. Over the past 10 years more than 600 men have made a decision to follow Christ, and the work continues to grow.
"I am director of three rehabilitation wards in the prison here in Asuncion. I have 450 men under my care. An integral part of the work is encouraging the men to give up drugs and weapons. As the men are conquered by love, and learn that love is stronger than fear, they voluntarily give up their weapons. Weapons are readily bartered inside the prison so when I receive them I take them outside the walls," says "Papa Jonathan" as he is affectionately known.
Hermann Guggiari is an internationally known sculptor who does wonders with metals. Knowing that, Beachy approached him, and asked him to convert his three year collection of daggers and knives into a sculpture that reflected the change that had occurred in the men who used to own them. Very moved by what he heard, the artist did not take long to be inspired to create a sculpture that reflected what he had heard.
He comments: "What I did was to transform these weapons of hatred into weapons of love. That's why I called my piece of work "Metamorphosis". In the center is the Christ-child, a child because we are reminded even more of his purity and innocence. His crown is made of small daggers and knives. There are larger daggers stabbing his body, feet, and hands. That speaks of suffering. Surrounding all this, with more knives, I made a heart, as if to say that love triumphs."
The sculpture, owned by Beachy, has been on display in several art shows, as well as in the lobby of the Attorney General's office and the National Courthouse, and was featured in at least one television special.
By Jonathan Beachy
21 June 2005
