John Constable was one of the best known landscape artists of his time. He painted the places he loved in the countryside and along the coast of England.  This piece is one of many cloud studies he painted. The low horizon line lifts our eyes skyward to the grand, realistic portrayal of clouds and gulls. It is a work of sensory appeal calling us to the sights, smells, and textures of the seaside and its sky.

This gentle work of blues and neutrals seems to offer a visual pause in these days leading up to the election. It provides an imagined escape to a place of nature that is unaffected by the tangles and vagaries of human nature. It seems a feast for the eyes and the heart; a visual prompt for a time of peace and prayer.

Let us do all of our civic duties now so we can avoid the later regret of having held back. Then let us fall into the peace of natural places even if we are struggling to breathe when we arrive. God is waiting for us there.

In hope and faith,

Sandy Prouty

Minister of Children and Families

Montview Church