It is hard to explain Banksy. On the one hand, that name itself means much in our world. If you know the name, you know that Banksy is something of a guerilla painter or graffiti artist. And yet, while the world may know Banksy by that name, we still don’t know much about who the artist is. He is notoriously secretive, not showing his face. We’re not even sure where he lives, although guesses seem to go to Bristol, England.
Assuming he is based in England, it was surprising to find his artwork popping up in the Ukraine a few weeks ago. The artist left behind at least seven mural paintings that were meant to bring hope and encouragement to the people of Ukraine who are under siege from a Russian invasion. The paintings included a kid flipping Vladimir Putin in a judo move, two children using a tank as a seesaw, and other images.
There is something in Banksy though that reminds us of God, especially in Advent. This God who lives in the heavens far away from us came to our world, our homes-turned-battlefields, and left us an image of hope like Banksy did. This Artist came to paint us a picture that brings us hope. Unlike Banksy, however, we find that He has left more than an image. He has left us His Son, the greatest work of Art that we could ever hope to witness – the salvation of our world.
This Artist-God has come to bring us something beautiful and meaningful, something that brings us hope and encouragement. May you look upon His work today.