the unlikely orange

"faceless immigrants 1-13" mixed media collage (found papers, acrylic paint, glue) on hardcover bookboard november, 2018 gregory a. milinovich i know that this is a divisive subject, and i don't mean to divide.  in fact, my sincere hope would be to build and connect.  but as i continue to glue things together in a way that expresses what is going on in my soul, i cannot help but deal with some of the discord i find there recently.   the news has been full of stories about immigration, asylum-seekers, and how we maintain borders.  these are complicated issues, to be sure, but one of the ways that i find myself struggling as i process the things i see and hear (or sometimes try to avoid seeing and hearing), is to remember that we aren't just talking about an issue here.   when we start painting in broad strokes and speaking in swaths of generalities, we deal in issues and policies and i understood that conversation at that level is...

"behold" mixed media collage (found papers, glue, gesso on hardcover bookboard) october, 2018 gregory a. milinovich behold.  it's an imperative to stop and look.  sometimes we need that, don't we?  to stop and look?  sometimes i need to just behold.  to stop running at breakneck pace, and to pay attention to the rhythm of my breath, to the beating hearts are all around me, and to the presence of the holy everywhere.  "behold, i stand at the door and knock."  but i'm too busy to notice most of the time. and sometimes we need to stop and see what we are really doing.  i need to hear what the voice on the other side of the door is saying: hello?  you've been busy following your own agenda.  you've been busy reading the news and getting angry, or depressed, or numb.  you've been trying to distract yourself.  you've been demonizing the other, even though you aren't even listening.  behold.  look and see w...

""him/her" mixed media collage on hardcover book board (found papers, acryclic paint, glue) october, 2018 gregory a. milinovich "so God created humanity in the image of God; in the image of God they were created; male and female God created them." -genesis 1:27 so, if we are all created "in the image of God," what does that say about us?  about all of us?  and what does it say about God?  i think, as we learn to love our neighbors (and how we love our neighbors IS HOW WE LOVE GOD, according to 1 john 4:20-21), these are important questions for us to wrestle with.  when we read stories about separation of immigrant families; when we hear about mass shootings based on religion or race; when we are led to believe by the words and actions of our leaders that is okay to demonize, alienate, ostracise, generalize, stereotype, exclude or even execute those who are different than us, i think these are critically important questions, es...

"claimed" paper collage (found papers, acrylic paint, glue) on book board gregory a. milinovich october 2018 But now thus says the  Lord ,      he who created you, O Jacob,      he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;      I have called you by name, you are mine. "you are mine," says God.  "do not be afraid.  i have redeemed you.  i have claimed you.  i got this." in a messy world full of pipe bombs and synagogue shootings; in a broken mess of hate and fear, i believe a certain kind of fearlessness based in a love that is perfect and holy.  i believe that the light defeats the darkness.  i believe we are claimed.  

"weapon of the word" mixed media collage (found papers, acrylic paint, glue on book board) gregory a. milinovich september, 2018 "a bible used as a weapon against other human beings is always a bible misused."  -kristen rosser i know this new collage i made a few weeks ago isn't going to win any beauty contests, but i wasn't trying to make something pretty.  i was reflecting on how i so often feel about how some Jesus-followers sometimes use the bible.  standing on a foundation of fear, they pack the bible like a pistol, loaded and aimed at anyone who challenges them.  it gets aimed at those who are different.  it gets aimed at those who interpret it in different ways.  in this way the word is weaponized in order to silence the voices of those who would ask questions.   for me, the bible is much more a love letter than a loaded weapon.  it invites relationship not retribution.  it gives life, not death.  it cr...

if i was going to start something awesome, i'd probably start with the most attractive thing i could.  i mean, it's marketing 101, right?  you've got to attract people, tell them that you've got something great, and that they need it.  so think about it: if i was going to start a club for steelers fans who also love indie music, i would probably start by hiring my graphic designer wife to make some super awesome brochures or posters or something, and i would make sure they looked interesting and inviting.  next, i would look for some cool people to join my club, maybe even some people that people know .  i mean, it would be great if i could get the Avett Brothers to join my club, or JuJu Smith-Schuster, or someone that would attract others to join my club.  and we'd have snacks.  maybe little black-and-gold cookies in the shape of a banjo or something.  but not Jesus.  that's now how Jesus operates.  (well, maybe the snacks...h...

last week i tried to remind myself and any of you reading that Jesus isn't interested in calling only the squeaky-clean or those who have all of their cracks and tears all covered up and hidden.  but somehow many of us still let ourselves "off the hook," by assuming that the people that Jesus is really interested in are the religious people.  people like priests and pastors.  people like walt, the guy who leads two different bible studies at church, always attends the special church events, and reads bible commentaries in his spare time.  we sometimes allow ourselves to buy the lie that says, "those are the real Jesus-followers.  you don't have time for that.  you've got your career and your family and your retirement and your hobbies and your busy schedule to worry about...you can follow Jesus just by going to church sometimes."  and we do.  and we check the box.  but i happen to think that Jesus is actually inviting people - regul...