Allison Fox

Dichotomy Unified
Acrylic on canvas
16″ x 20″
Email: allison@foxfiregalleries.com
Website: http://www.foxfiregalleries.com

Artist Statement

When reflecting on the lyrics of “How Great Thou Art” and how to portray God’s greatness, it struck me that I often think of Jesus as a dichotomy: I gladly accept Christ as the newborn King, and Christ as the Savior on the cross, but don’t often connect the two. As the mother of two young boys, I began to think about God’s perspective upon the birth of Christ. When Jesus was born, God knew what Jesus’ future held. He looked at His beautiful new baby boy and knew that His only Son would be tortured and would die an awful death. I cannot imagine the pain of holding my newborn son knowing that he would experience the suffering that Jesus experienced.  I also cannot comprehend loving another person so much that I would sacrifice the life of either of my children.

How great must be God’s love for us that He would not only allow His Son to suffer and die for us, but God Himself would endure the pain of knowing what His precious newborn Son would undergo.  This painting visually unifies Jesus as a beautiful baby and Jesus Christ crucified, as God might have seen
His infant Son.

Lyrics

How Great Thou Art, by Carl Boberg, English translation by Stuart Kine

Stanza 1:
O Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The world Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout
The universe displayed;

Refrain:

Then sings my soul,
My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!

Stanza 2:
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;

Refrain

Stanza 3:
And when I think,
That God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die,
I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross,
My burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died
To take away my sin.

Refrain

Stanza 4:
When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim,
“My God, how great Thou art!”
Refrain