Writing Letters with God
As we welcome in the Autumn season with the upcoming holidays, and after recent travels and studies of Paul the Apostle First Epistle to the Corinthians, I find myself reflecting upon letter-writing for it is a gift for the author and the recipient. It is a shared gift of contemplative expression during a time of overflowing noise and distraction.
When we were in The Hague, visiting the museum that houses the Girl with the Pearl Earring, I discovered this painting next to it: “Woman Writing a Letter,” (1655) by Gerard ter Borch.
Our last travels through the region were complemented by the writings of the Apostle Paul in the Bible and inspired me to pen a piece on writing with God. The discovery of this painting inspired me to pen a note to a kind lady named Tabby whom I met on this trip. Tabby surprised me one morning as I stopped for my tea by graciously slipping an envelope to me with a sweet smile and walking away to join her group!
Later in the afternoon, I found a quiet spot to sit and pen a note of thanks to Tabby. As I sealed the envelope and prepared to look for her, she walked by me! We greeted one another with a smile and a gentle hug. I then gently slipped her the note I had written for her. I thanked her for blessing my day and said I know that God brought us together to share words of encouragement with one another to feel His love.
On a recent trip to Romania, we stayed in the town of Brasov, home of the Tales of Communism Museum where visitors are educated about the challenging years the country once faced. As we walked through the exhibits of donated items and books, one photo from this remarkable collection of memories caught my eye: a handwritten post card to a friend. I smiled and thought about how much I enjoy collecting postcards and sending them to family and friends along the way.
When I arrived home, I went through the stack of mail and found the latest edition of one of my favorite magazines, Victoria. And, as I began to thumb through the pages, I came upon this article, “The Art of the Handwritten Letter” by Jennifer L. Scott. The article opens with these words: “There is no feeling quite like it: Checking the mail and sorting through what you expect will be bills and advertisements, only to find a letter addressed to you in a familiar writing peeking out of the stack. It’s a handwritten missive from someone you love who took the time to reach out to you.”
As I read through the article, I thought about my collection of travel postcards. The art of writing a letter is such a gift of encouragement and friendship. Telling a story or just letting someone know you are thinking of them is such a treasured surprise to receive in the mail. To read a handwritten message on a postcard that has been hand-selected by the sender is an expression of the heart. And, what a joy it is to be the recipient!
I know that, with our richly filled schedules, it is often much easier to send a text or an email of encouragement to a friend or family member. Don’t get me wrong, I, too, often use digital resources to reach out to friends and family. Yet, taking the time to sit down and contemplate a thought to share in a written note, is not only a way to encourage another, it becomes a moment for one’s soul to stop for a moment of time and reflect upon the words being written.
“Allowing a secret space for full creative expression binds two friends together in an enchanting correspondence that transcends daily mundane activities.” Jennifer L. Scott
After reading the article, I immediately thought of my recent visit to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, and my recent Bible studies of the letters written by Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.
During my tour of the museum, I was fully immersed in Vincent van Gogh’s artwork. One could feel the passion and intensity through his rich, energetic brushstrokes. His letters, equally as passionate, were often on display side-by-side with his paintings.
As written in the museum information notes:
He had a strong need to share his ideas and feelings. After Vincent, his brothers and his sisters had all left home, they often wrote to each other and to their parents. Many of Vincent’s letters have survived, and even some of the replies. The total correspondence features 903 letters: 820 by Van Gogh and 83 to him. By far, the most letters are to his brother Theo, his best friend and loyal supporter. Theo kept Vincent’s letters with great care.
Van Gogh actually wrote a lot more letters, he probably wrote more than 2,000 in total. We can make this estimation thanks to comments in the letters such as ‘I wrote to … today’, and ‘I just
(https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/stories/all-stories/van-goghs-letters)
In a recent Bible study in Corinthians I and II, Paul the Apostle penned letters to the Corinthians to encourage them. He wrote these letters with a deep passion for the people to encourage them to carry on their faith and to remain steadfast to the truths of the gospel. As he writes in 1 Corinthians 13, “God’s unending love always sustains us and gives us hope.”
While neither Vincent Van Gogh nor Paul the Apostle had easy lives, I believe their call to letter writing has had a great and ever-lasting influence on all of our lives. To learn that Vincent Van Gogh wrote over 2,000 letters, while Paul the Apostle penned Corinthians I and II, is an act of truth and love. We learn that the important part of Paul’s ministry was to keep in touch with Christians and churches, to encourage them in their faith and to help them overcome the challenges of the world to believe the true Gospel message that was preached to them. He did this by visiting and writing letters. We learn that Paul penned thirteen epistles (or letters) in the New Testament of the Bible and some scholars believe there may have been more letters that Paul wrote that are not in the Bible.
Paul’s writings offer us the encouragement to put God first in all things and in our lives; to embrace hope and walk in joy.
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10
Vincent Van Gogh’s letters to his brother, Theo, encourage us to express our own thoughts. And what a joy to see Theo’s love for his brother through his kind and caring letters in return.
Later in the day, I received the afternoon mail and discovered with great joy two postcards from friends! I set the collection of bills and advertisements aside, made a cup of tea, and went to my studio to sit in my favorite chair to read them quietly.
Then I took out some note cards and began to write notes back to my friends. I put on some quiet background music and began to pen my “thoughts from the heart” to fill the cards with words of love and encouragement.
With autumn in the air, we prepare for the upcoming holidays. May I encourage all of us to slow down, find a quiet space, and pen a handwritten note to a friend or family member and … pass on the joy!
