Rest for the Weary

My first thought when looking at “Rest for the Weary” by Michael Belk, was very curious and unsure. I was not sure what this image was trying to say and unsure if it was a positive or negative depiction of Jesus. The image appears to have a business man that looks very stressed and tired laying across Jesus’ lap on the steps of a business building.
Michael Belk is a self-taught photographer born in Orlando, he never picked-up a camera until he was 20 years old. Michael started photographing sample lines and models and presenting to retail clients. The first year or two of Michaels career, he describes his career as very exhausting and unfulfilling. One day he describes an epiphany that he had. He says that he felt the presence of Jesus in his room one night and that he was to start photographing something different. Michael then started creating Journeys with the Messiah. These are works of art that depict the teachings of Jesus but with modern examples. Michael felt like he was called to create works of art by God and I believe that he has don’t a good job of recreating his teachings.
“Rest for the Weary” was created in March 2009 in the midst of a serious economic downturn. People’s fortunes have been lost with bank failures, jobs have been lost, and people are working harder for less. Michael talks about that we are assigning too much importance to issues “that, in the end, will be of no consequence”. Today we worry so much about little things that in the end we will not have. We are focusing so much of our time on money and possessions that will not matter after we die. If we are cutting off relationships with others and God for the sake of gaining an extra dollar, we are only hurting ourselves in the long run. Jesus said that we are not to worry, but to “seek His Kingdom first” and His Father would generously take care of our needs. With the events that have happened we need to look back at what Jesus has said and focus on what is important in life, friends, family, and your faith. On Michael’s website he gets this depiction from his interpretations of Matthew 11:28. In this passage Jesus is telling others to come to him when you are exhausted and need rest. In “Rest for the Weary” the exhausted and overworked businessman comes to Jesus in the midst of a financial collapse.
In conclusion, “Rest for the Weary” brings us a picture of Jesus in a modern scene. A lot of the pictures that are of Jesus have a scene of ancient times and I find it interesting how this artist brings Jesus into modern day terms. I chose to do this picture for my project because I like how the artist brings a historical Jesus into the current time and issues that we are dealing with now. Belk reminds us to whom we should turn for peace in a world filled with financial struggles & economic downturn.

Works Cited
"The Journeys Project." Christian Art Prints | Jesus Art Photography. Web. 05 Apr. 2010. .
"Matthew 11:28-30 - Passage Lookup." BibleGateway.com. Web. 04 Apr. 2010. .
"Taking the Journey: Seasoned Photographer Answers God?s Call | The Underground."
The Underground -- Not Your Average Christian Mag. Web. 05 Apr. 2010. .