The Art of Family Discipleship Part 3: Saying Grace
This is the third part of a series where we will take a look at families depicted in songs, paintings, films, and poetry and see how faith is portrayed in the home through art.
Today let’s take a look at another painting from the same artist we looked at in Part 1 & 2. After this post, I’ll move on to some other artists for a while. This is Saying Grace by Norman Rockwell from 1951.
The Artist
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was an American painter who is most famous for his illustrations on the covers of the Saturday Evening Post and Boy’s Life. His art is known for its optimistic depictions of American life. He often addressed issues related to family, war, race, and religion. In his 84 years of life he produced more than 4,000 pieces of original art.
The Painting
Saying Grace shows a grandmother and her grandson praying together at a crowded restaurant near a rural train-stop. In 2013, director George Lucas purchased the original painting for $46 million setting a new record for Rockwell’s art.
The Story the Painting Tells
Here prayer is a spectacle. The center of attention in this painting is the prayer happening on the right side of table. It draws our eyes as well as the eyes of everyone else in the painting. Is it really now so strange to see someone praying in public? The painting makes faithfulness to our God something odd to the gawking bystanders. Like Shadrach, this Christian family will honor God even if no one else is going to. This is the kind of faithfulness we need to be ready for in this generation. Even if we are the only ones, even if it makes us weird, let us be found faithful to our God. Phil. 2:15-16 “Children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
The child imitates his grandmother. On his own in an environment like this a child may not have prayed by himself, but under the leadership of his godly grandmother, he is happy to join her in her reverence. Sometimes our courage will be what will make our children brave. Our sincere religion will build boldness in our children. Of course, if we fail to lead we can expect that they will fail to follow. 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
Conviction in the hearts of others can come from the holy witness of strangers. Being a Christian in public is a form of witness, not just to our children but to any onlookers. You are daily given the opportunity to manifest your faithfulness, not in pride, but that the watching world might turn and know their God just as you do. Jesus said that you are the light of the world. Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”