An Angel of the Lord Came Unto Them, 2008

Lord no, I'm not a Christian. I'm probably an atheist although my friend Peter once referred to me as a spiritual anarchist (It's so easy to misread that word as antichrist ~ please don't…) & my Mom's Episcopal pastor Rose keeps telling me that by using the word probably, thereby implying doubt, I'm automatically making myself an agnostic… The key point here is: if one can ignore the fundamentalists (we're talking across the board here) every culture's religious foundations, mythologies & aesthetics are interesting ~ even the scary ones. The scary ones are perhaps the most interesting; look, for example, at Tibetan tantric practice. All those skull cups, femur oboes & fierce protectors galloping about using flayed human skins as saddle blankets… 

By the way, if you're curious, the biblical reference in the title is Luke: 2-10, when the shepherds get the good news…

I'm currently taking a break from decorating a very traditional tree & yes, there is an angel on top. All tarted-up in gold & pearls, playing a tiny, gilded violin. I happen to be rather fond of the concept of angels…

After all, the Christians don't have a monopoly on them.