Painting a Crucifix

This November, I had the honor and privilege of refurbishing and painting a crucifix for a friend on commission. It was about 7 hours or prayerful work over two weeks that might have otherwise been spent scrolling on my phone after the girls were put to bed.

I’ve been thinking a lot about our technology lately and advancements in AI, and how it’s shaping us as individuals and as a society. As far as I know, generative AI that can paint statues is not yet invented or accessible to the masses. And so I’m lucky that my skills still have a practical application. But then again, maybe practically isn’t the right approach. Maybe I should keep painting because it’s fun, or because it shapes me into a more thoughtful, meditative, and prayerful kind of guy—a guy who exercises the mind and body and skills that God has given me. A statue, a paintbrush, and a Facebook post are all technologies that I think can assist our human flourishing, but they can also be a distraction or worse. And I think that’s the lens through which we need to assess our technology and the use of our time: does it make us flourish as persons? Does it help us be the people we want to be? Does it help us become the people God wants us to be?

An honest assessment of myself tells me that I’m not always on that path, but for the time spent on this project, and can give a firm yes.