Do You Believe In Angels?
" angel ('eındʒəl) n. 5. Informal. a person who is kind, pure or beautiful. "
I believe in angels. I see them every day. Sometimes they're hard to spot and you can walk right past without ever knowing. Other times, boom! There they are, radiant, right in front of you, and everyone around them stops and stares.
I'm not a religious man. I don't believe in God. But I do have faith in that which is the foundation of them both. Goodness. In the Bible, angels are the servants of God. In my book, they are the servants of Good. I believe that there is an angel inside each one of us...that part of us that is capable, no matter how briefly, of acting purely from good intention. Forget pressed palms and benign smiles, forget magic and miracles...angels are simply people in their purest form, who by their thoughts, their actions, or even just their existence, can save us. Whilst human nature is arguably rooted in self-preservation and instinct, and perhaps even defined by the never-ending battle between our best intent and our darker impulse, none of us are entirely evil. In the space that remains, lies the potential for us to break free from the restrictions of our own needs, and reach out to others.
It's not about being perfect, it's about being capable of doing good. And when we do good, we become beautiful in the eyes of others. We become, for a moment, an angel.
Do you see them too? Have you been saved by someone? Do you know someone who has earned their wings? Then this art project is for you. A chance to draw attention to those people who remind us that love never dies, that hope never fails, and that while we still have each other, we have everything. During the week of the Stratford Fringe Festival I'll be setting up a temporary public photo-studio at The A Gallery in Shrieve’s Walk (off Sheep Street) and inviting you to bring along the person or people for whom you feel thankful or to whom you are endebted. I’ll take their picture, and turn it into a one-off mixed-media piece of art showing them wearing the well-deserved wings of an angel. You'll also have the opportunity to write a testimony to that person, or record a short video clip, letting everyone else know why they are so special. Loved ones, family members, cherished friends, caring professionals, or even passing strangers who happened to be there when you needed them, you can nominate anyone, as long as there’s a story to tell. So bring your angels, bring your fond memories and let's put a little goodness on show.
If you aren't local to the Stratford Upon Avon area, or can't attend the festival in person, but would still like to be involved in this project, please feel free to leave a message here with your angelic nominations and stories and I'll happily add them to the exhibition. You can shout their name from the rooftops, or keep the whole thing anonymous....it's the message that's important!
You'll need a Blogger account (it's free) to leave comments here, or if you prefer you can email me direct at bodavies@gmail.com.
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