By Dr Angela McCarthy
The Theme for the 2024 Mandorla Art Award is: Refocus: “Let all that you do be done in love” and is derived from St Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 16, verse 14.
The theme for the previous Mandorla Art Award held in 2022 was Metamorphosis – a profound or radical change.
The scriptural reference was taken from the prophet Isaiah, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (43:19).
Radical changes in recent years were wrought by the ongoing pandemic, war, famine and the refugee crisis.
Artists interpreted this state in visual ways that challenged us to review how we live, work and act in the world.
The new theme for the 2024 Award is about the next step, how we refocus in a positive way.
This is derived from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and includes the previous sentence; “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor 16:13-14).
Refocus becomes the great ‘What if?’.
Let us imagine a world where love is the animator of everything!
What if…
Every contact is motivated by love
Every word is spoken in love
Every conversation is formed in love
Every purchase is activated by love
Every action is framed with love
Every relationship is infused with love
Every gift is given with love
Every law is enacted with love
Every lesson is taught with love
Every mouthful of food delivered with love
Every child conceived in love
Every celebration fuelled by love
Every addiction is relieved by love
Every embrace warmed by love
Every death gently held in love
Every reprimand received in love
Every confrontation calmed by love
Every anxiety relieved by love
Every part of creation cared for with love
Every weapon eliminated by love
Every sexual encounter flooded with love
Every embrace an expression of love.
There are families and communities throughout the world who have achieved this and in Christian scriptures it is given a variety of names, for example, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, the reign of God, a life of love.
What if everyone could refocus and live in love, through love and with love?
This quote is taken from St Paul who was talking to the people of Corinth over 2000 years ago.
Corinth was a very cosmopolitan port city that had great diversity and social difficulties.
The situation is similar for us today. What If?