"A Knock at Your Door"

by Scott Zambelli

After receiving inspiration to create some artwork depicting Jesus knocking at the door, I decided to do a little research and see what was already out there.  WHat I found was that most of the pictures were similar in that they were very "traditional" in their depiction.  They would show Jesus, standing outside of an old wooden door (without a door handle) in a setting that looked to be a long, long time ago.

For those who are not familiar with this artwork, it is suppossed to be a metaphor for a person's heart.  It is supposed to illustrate how Jesus is politely knocking on the doorway to our hearts, waiting for us to invite him in.  This is also why the pictures will show a door with no handle.  This is because Jesus does not barge his way in.  Instead he waits outside a door that can only be opened from the inside...by us.

Since all of the pictures I saw were traditional in their depiction, I felt inspired to modernize it.  In doing so, I wanted to make sure to stay true to the original meaning behind the picture.  Since the door is an entrance into our hearts, I wanted to make sure I had some key elements.  The first was to have the door set into a brick building since we like to build walls around our hearts to protect us from anything...or anyone,,,that could potentially harm us.

The next symbolism I wanted to incorporate is how we will develop certain mannerisms and/or attitudes that will help to keep others from wanting to get too close to us in the first place.  I thought the addition of the "No Soliciting", "Beware of Dog", and the "Protected by Alarm" signs were appropriate.  They are ways for us to turn away any potential interaction.  After all, isn't it better to avoid all interaction with others to protect ourselves from being hurt...even if it means that will will also prevent the beneficial relationships to develop in our lives.

Another mechanism we like to use in our relationships with others are the masks we like to wear.  For some reason, it is viewed as a weakness to let anyone know about the true state of who we are.  Scared that someone might see how cluttered, disorganized, and empty our lives truely are, we put up blinds that will block out those who might try and get a glimps of who we are.  It is for this reason that when our lives are falling apart, we tell a co-worker that everything is great with a fake smile when they ask us how we're doing.

The final piece of this was the missing door handle. I too wanted this door to be opened only from the inside, but I also wanted a realistic door for today's times.  That is when I realized how important the door handle was.  We want people to "think" that we are inviting and that they can come in.  However, we then put a deadbolt on the door so that we can maintain the image of being inviting while hanging on to the control of deciding who gets to come in because the door can still only be opened by the one who is inside.

I hope you like this artwork and it speaks to you.  God Bless.