Urban Manger
© Durga Yael Bernhard
Among the many Christian illustrations I've done over the years, this is one of my favorites. Urban Manger reflects my publishers' (and their readers') aspiration to bring charity and compassion into the modern world. This involves not only helping the needy, but also a certain state of readiness toward the stranger, for the holy child can be reborn anywhere, at any time, shining with inner light.
At the time of this commission I had just finished reading City of Joy, a powerful book about the inner slums of Calcutta. In a place of unspeakable poverty and danger, the spirit of love thrived. Amidst unimaginable urban squalor, authentic joy blossomed. I thought, why not expect such a miracle in any urban neighborhood? The more run-down, the better, for the purpose of the illustration. The greater the darkness, the more brilliant the light.
One of the gifts of spiritual literature is that it helps us grapple with paradox and meet the unexpected. Thus the humble shepherd becomes a great king; the poor are blessed with riches in heaven; the phoenix rises from the ashes; and both sides of a yin yang contain the seed of its opposite. Out of the darkness comes light. Out of the old bursts the new. Out of urban decay comes something pure and innocent – even divine.
So we gather in good cheer at this time of year, and make our own light in the darkness. It's no accident that Christmas is so close to Solstice, when the light is reborn. It's time to summon our inner hopes and pray for new beginnings.
Urban Manger is available from my webstore as a greeting card.
Merry Christmas to my Christian readers, and Happy Solstice to all!
D Yael Bernhard