Romans 8:18-25 Banksy,
Girl With a Balloon
8:18 For I am reasoning that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy in contrast with the glory that will be revealed in
us. 8:19 For the intense
anticipation of the creation is awaiting the revealing of the sons of God. 8:20 For the vanity to which the creation was
submitted was not of its own will but rather according to the will of the one
who submitted creation for the sake of hope 8:21 that the creation itself will be liberated from the
bondage of the corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
8:22 For we know that the
whole of creation is groaning and suffering in agony collectively until this
very moment. 8:23 and not
alone but we ourselves who have received first fruit of the Spirit, we also who
are receiving, we are groaning within ourselves, we who are eagerly awaiting
the redemption of our body. 8:24
For in hope we were and are rescued but hope that is seen is not hope since why
would one hope in what is seen? 8:25
But if we hope in what we do not see we
will endure patiently as we await the unseen hope.
The pseudonymous graffiti artist, Banksy painted this piece
on a South Bank wall in London, England. It is one of his most discussed works
and has been used in benevolent endeavors such as the #withsyria campaign to
provide support for Syrian refugees and citizens struggling in the midst of
war.
Girl With a Balloon,
depicts a young girl standing with the wind blowing against her back, based on
the direction her hair appears to be blowing. The observer can conclude that
based upon the direction of the wind the balloon is being blown away from the
girl, whose arm is outstretched towards the string of the balloon. Although it
is blowing away, her outstretched fingers depict her intense anticipation to
regain her grasp on this coveted balloon. Behind the girl the words “THERE IS
ALWAYS HOPE” is spray painted onto the wall. Along with the heart shape of the
balloon the observer can assume that this balloon serves as a metaphor for hope
that was once fully under her possession.
Much like Banksy’s girl, Paul depicts the whole of creation’s
intense anticipation as if creation is outstretched awaiting the glory God
intended for it. This intended glory, like the red heart shaped balloon for the
girl, was a fully actualized reality before the fall within the grasp of
creation. The fully intended glory and hope of creation is no longer under its
control. The whole of creation continues to reach with an outstretched hand
groaning in hope of rescue and redemption which is just beyond our reach. Yet,
behind the whole of creation, God reminds us through the first fruit of the Spirit
that there is always hope. Much like Romans 8:24-25 it is interesting that the
encouraging words reminding that there is always hope is behind the girl where
she cannot see.
We, as members of the whole creation, are given hope that we
will one day grasp the actualization of our true being. There are many factors
in life that inhibit our ability to fully grasp our actualized possibility. Our
finitude, our sin, and our very fallen nature, have caused us to lose our grasp
of the intended glory of God’s creation. In participation with the Spirit, by
the example of Christ, and with the unseen hope that God’s intentions will one
day be fully realized, we as the children of God are given an unseen hope to
continue to reach out. In the midst of the winds that blow in the context of
our finite suffering, we hope for our fully actualized glory as the children of
God.
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