Broad strokes

Asan artist, I struggle to capture a subject with broad strokes. Representationalart at least in the range of my ability requires smaller brushes to capturedetail. There are exceptions to this—works of art that lean more toward the contemporary or more abstractpieces can be executed with larger brushes. Granted, experts in their craft cando anything. I have a way to go to reach that level. My point in all this isthat broad strokes, at least for me, often miss the details. And details can makeall the difference.

Andyet, in our culture, we are leaning more into the use of painting others inwide swaths. We place folks in a broad category whether it be political, faith, or something else and assignthem characteristics that we have already predetermined go with a person inthat category. When we do that, we’ve stopped listening, because listening isthe only way we find out the details. We’ve thrown away our small brushes.

It hurts my heart when I see or hear this done. Recently, I heardsomeone use a broad-brush stroke referring to others with a differing view asGod-less. I had a friend who fit the category referred to, and knew they werenot God-less, in fact they were God-full. Someone who has a differing view maybe wrong (or not) in their thinking, but it doesn’t mean they are apart fromGod. I may have seen things differently than the person referenced but theirhearts were after God.

Rather than jettisoning others because of wide categories and broadstrokes, let’s look and listen for the details that may bring us together. Youmay be saying, well, if they think “x, y, or z” then I don’t want to hearanything else they have to say. Really? We have to ask ourselves what would theBiblical response be? If we truly see these folks apart from God, then we havean even greater burden to build a bridge. Paul said, “I have become all thingsto all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (I Corinthians9:22).

I understand this is not easy. It’s less trouble to just lump folks intocategories and try to get away from them because we don’t want to hear differingviews.

But please, let’s get rid of those big brushes. Let’s take out thesmaller ones that can capture the fine points that may change everything. I’mhere painting alongside you, friend!

Beverly Varnado's most recent book is In Search of the Painted Bunting, a middle grade historical from Elk Lake Publishing, #1 in new releases in its category. She is also the author of several small town romances from Anaiah Press including her latest, A Season for Everything. All are available at Amazon. To explore the web version of One Ringing Bell, please visit bev-oneringingbell.blogspot.comTo sign up for her newsletter, go to http://eepurl.com/dHNdsX Beverly Varnado copyright 2023