Express Without Words “There Was In The Days Of Herod, The King Of Judaea, A Certain Priest Named Zacharias, Of The Course Of Art

Express without words “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.” (Luke 1:5, KJV) Depict Zacharias in the linens for daily attire.
Express without words “Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.” (Daniel 2:19-23, KJV)
In days to come I stood amazed, walking through that forest, at the blazing symphony of color it brought forth, seemingly just for me.  I grew to love my friend’s words in a new way, through the astounding beauty of the spectacle he knew was coming when he said them.  I was young then, and didn’t know I had many autumns ahead of me.
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.

No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;

for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Place this text in the foreground of my newly generated Vintage Film Burn image…

“Dawn, gentle, beginnings of a new day lighting our paths and illuminating our way….

I’ve always thought of you with love and warmth and hardly questioned why… always felt a special bond that’s led to years of friendship  and smiles…

I found in you the gentle spirit of a certain truth and could NOT look away because in you I saw proof…..of HIM…”

Also include an image in the background of a soft sunrise seen over an ocean’s horizon 


A Dawn to Remember….by JPRussell
An Asian Slice
At the dark end of an alley on a moonless night,
A youth squats low to the ground, turned toward the wall with his face in his lap.  Someone might think he’s sleeping.  He’s smoking heroin.  Soon he’ll fall over and soil himself, and stay right there until dawn.

Back at the neon-lit mouth of this dark alley, 
hookers walk back and forth, hurrying to get past the alley, either for fear or because is smells so bad.  Eyelids, all painted golden, Asian whores always look like they’re made of candy.  Candy it is; but a snarling cat awaits its prey.
First century Palestine.  An evening scene on a rooftop in Bethlehem.  The summer air is warm and the evening light is soft.  Jesus, wearing ordinary clothing like most men wear, sits at a table across from a Pharisee named Nicodemus who has come to speak to the Master privately.  One or two servers stand nearby.  There is a clay pitcher and 2 drinking cups on the table.  The town is visible in the background.
In days to come I stood amazed, walking through that forest, at the blazing symphony of color it brought forth, seemingly just for me.  I grew to love my friend’s words in a new way, through the astounding beauty of the spectacle he knew was coming when he said them.  I was young then, and didn’t know I had many autumns ahead of me.
Morning inside the classroom at a private school in Kuala Lumpur before class begins. Students stand next to their desks as the teacher, standing in front, leads them in the usual morning recitations of the five national principles, their voices blending into one:
	"Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan." (Belief in God.)
	"Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara." (Loyalty to the King and Country.)
	"Keluhuran Perlembagaan." (Supremacy of the Constitution.)
	"Kedaulatan Undang-Undang." (Rule of Law.)
	"Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan." (Courtesy and Morality.)
Wing-Sun repeats the words automatically, his eyes drift across the classroom, catching a glimpse of Siu-Zi, the new girl, standing in her usual spot near the window.
An interior scene.  An old Bible with dog-eared pages, a black leather cover, and words of Christ in red sits open on a table.  The camera sees the Bible at a 45 degree angle.  The table and chair are old and worn, sitting on a worn carpet on a wood plank floor.  There are some pens and highlighters, along with a  red ribbon bookmark, a half-empty drink and some paper clips.  The room is in low-light, and a small window is in the background.  Someone has been studying and just stepped away for a moment.  Some lines in the Bible are highlighted yellow.
An interior scene.  An old Bible with dog-eared pages, a black leather cover, and words of Christ in red sits open on a table.  The camera sees the Bible at a 45 degree angle.  The table and chair are old and worn, sitting on a worn carpet on a wood plank floor.  There are some pens and highlighters, along with a  red ribbon bookmark, a half-empty drink and some paper clips.  The room is in low-light, and a small window is in the background.  Someone has been studying and just stepped away for a moment.  Some lines in the Bible are highlighted yellow.
King and queen
King and queen
King and queen
This day, though, I hiked another autumn wood.  Eastern Europe ancient; overgrown.  So thick the view was dark at just a few feet off the path.  All red and yellow; orange and brown, a million trees, each one in blazing preparation for long, frozen winter.  I cannot but recall my friend’s words, lasting long, though he did not, and the instant truth that follows.  Looking upward at the fiery canopy, matched against the bright cerulean sky beyond, I embrace autumn!  Winter surely comes one day, but spring beyond.  I have a winter to prepare for, but it is not yet.
portrait of a person with expressive eyes
So, you look at those captains and then at yourself
and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?”
As you paddle along in your pitiful state,
a canoe you hope no one will see.
But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you
for safe passage, provisions, and tare.
So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore,
making passage for those in your care.
Personal POV scene. Me and Jesus in the desert on a cool morning at daybreak walking toward a bright star. Jesus is wearing old clothes and carrying a satchel. I’m wearing old clothes and sandals just like Him. The air is cool and crisp. The sky is bright blue on the horizon with deep purple fading into black at the upper atmosphere. The air is crisp and clear. It’s like the desert in California looking east toward Arizona. There are desert hills on the north and south sides and mountains in the distance.
A girl remembering her childhood
Morning mist over lakes
An Asian Slice
At the dark end of an alley on a moonless night,
A youth squats low to the ground, turned toward the wall with his face in his lap.  Someone might think he’s sleeping.  He’s smoking heroin.  Soon he’ll fall over and soil himself, and stay right there until dawn.

Back at the neon-lit mouth of this dark alley, 
hookers walk back and forth, hurrying to get past the alley, either for fear or because is smells so bad.  Eyelids, all painted golden, Asian whores always look like they’re made of candy.  Candy it is; but a snarling cat awaits its prey.
a tree in nature
And after thee shall arise another kinghdom inferior to thee
 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 

do this without words in the image
 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 

do this without words in the image
still life arrangement of fruits and flowers
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than
I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes goes so little that there’s none of him at all.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close behind me, he’s a coward you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
a tree in nature
portrait of two people together
“Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.” (Joshua 1:1-4, KJV)
Urban anxiety
portrait of a person with expressive eyes
a tree in nature
animal standing in natural pose
Inside a large office building in London, on the 5th floor, Wing Sun's father, a Chinese Malaysian man in his 30s, speaks to his counterpart in the company, and English man, about business.  Other workers are seated at their desks and standing at a copy machine.  There are some Black people, but mostly British.  One whole wall of the room is glass and we can see something of London outside.
This day, though, I hiked another autumn wood.  Eastern Europe ancient; overgrown.  So thick the view was dark at just a few feet off the path.  All red and yellow; orange and brown, a million trees, each one in blazing preparation for long, frozen winter.  I cannot but recall my friend’s words, lasting long, though he did not, and the instant truth that follows.  Looking upward at the fiery canopy, matched against the bright cerulean sky beyond, I embrace autumn!  Winter surely comes one day, but spring beyond.  I have a winter to prepare for, but it is not yet.
still life arrangement of fruits and flowers
bicyle resting against a wall
portrait of two people together
portrait of a person with expressive eyes
urban street with city activity
First century Palestine.  Jesus sits on a rock on a hillside teaching a large group of His disciples.  The Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus wears a plain robe like most ordinary men.  Jesus' face is kind, but intense, as He teaches. The other people are mostly peasants, farmers, and tradesmen.  There are also women present, wearing plain, everyday clothing.  Some couples have also brought their children.  The Sea of Galilee shines in the far distance.