| The Naked Angel | |
|
Don Plefka |
|
|
The
cherub was a Father's Day gift from my daughter and her family in 2003.
When Anne Marie brought him to me, Joe said it was a “naked angel”.
Soon after, Tom and his family were visiting. Not satisfied with its
original location sitting on a low wall by the pear tree, I had Tom move
it to a flat rock near the Gazebo. That was good, … but it seemed to be
staring at ... nothing!. I had Tom place a rounded rock in front of him.
Now it was right! My Naked
Angel sits there un-fettered by garments of this world, in bright
sunshine and dark of night, in driving rain and deep snow. He has no
clothing to get wet or soiled but he has the love of God to keep him warm.
My Naked Angel is the vision of heaven, devoid of the material
fetishes that bind us like chains to this world. He
sits there deep in thought, gazing intently not at, but into
the rock that was long buried in the clay of the field that was once at
this place. He sees a time when the rock was shaped in a stream or carried
in a glacier. My little cherub can see when this rock was formed from the
earth and yes, even before that. ... In doing so, he helps me to
contemplate the mysteries of our existence, focusing on what is really
important. I sit
in the gazebo, during my little visit with God and Anne, sharing a cup of
coffee, my little Naked Angel joins us. He reminds me that the
rock, the world, the universe, and all it encompasses was created by God
and in the angel’s nakedness he reminds me that what we are to look for
is beyond this world. There is a deeper meaning, a deeper purpose, beyond
our incomplete understanding at this time and place. My Naked Angel helps me to gain a little glimpse into that rock, and past it, for a little bit of understanding, and a lot of hope. He is not magic, but one of the icons that lead me a little closer to God and His creation. From time to time I will share the insights that I gain while I visit in Grandpa’s Guardian Angel Garden with God, Anne, and my Naked Angel. |
|
