Artist Statement: Konrad Michelsen

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hell shall not overpower it.” – Matthew 16.18

This image came to me as I thought about Jesus naming Peter the “rock.” This is where we all start out — as rocks that are dark and hard and lifeless.  But God has a way of turning our rock-like hearts into something beautiful and something useful. Just like this painting, all we can give to God is the raw material. But in His hand we come to life, which I represented in this piece as light coming out of the rock’s center. If we come together in community, our little lights will be great for all the world to see, because the closer we are to each other, the closer we are to the Source of life, and the brighter our light will be.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” — Matthew 5.14