Following Christ - Images of Conversion

Editor's note — Great stories of spiritual conversion are a staple of Christian history and culture, from Paul on the road to Damascus and Lydia of Philippi (in the New Testament) to John Newton and Anne Lamott in modern times. Sue Robertson, an InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministries staff member working at the University of Minnesota, recently completed a degree at Regent College in Vancouver, for which she produced a series of paintings exploring the dynamics of conversion. We are pleased to present them here with the artist's own commentary. Note also the supporting, supplementary sketches for each work.

Jesse Tree, oil bar on canvas (18" x 36"), 2000	The Jesse Tree is based on Isaiah 11:1: "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit." This encapsulates the concept of new from old that is so central to the idea of conversion. This piece is also about beginnings. It is about the first emotions of consolation; the realization that God is there and that it could possibly be his presence within those feelings. Jesse Tree sketches

Transfer of Allegiance, oil bar on canvas (20" x 30"), 2000	The second image, Transfer of Allegiance, builds upon a concept from Gordon Smith’s class, "Conversion and Transformation." It describes the time when a believer realizes that she must follow God alone and that no other earthly authority can come before him. This realization was important within my own conversion experience, which is why I chose to draw it. Transfer of Allegiance sketches

Fruitfulness in the Face of Reality, oil bar on paper (20" x 24"), 2000	The third piece, Fruitfulness in the Face of Reality, is based on two passages of scripture. The first is Psalm 1:3: "They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper." The second is Jeremiah 17:8: "They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit." This piece is about growth and transformation as much as about the end of a conversion process. Thatt's when the reality of the difficulty of living the Christian life has set in, yet you still choose to live that life. Fruitfulness in the Face of Reality sketches

My Journey, oil bar on canvas (18" x 24"), 2000	The fourth piece, My Journey, is self-explanatory, revealing my conversion experience. I tried to convey in visual language the feelings and process of my own conversion, which took several years. It was a struggle, which is why the trees have so much movement. Emotionally this piece speaks of how God was present to me in providing safety, direction, and love for me that came without any strings attached. My Journey sketches

These four pieces themselves have been a journey for me, a journey to see if I could produce work that is intentional, making a statement that comes from a lot of hard work and research. Also they have been a journey because as I have worked on them, the ideas of conversion have continually been present in my life, making me wonder and push farther how I can represent conversion in a visual format.

I want to thank some people that made this possible for me. First and foremost, I thank my two advisors, Gordon Smith and Dal Schindell. They took the time to listen and answer emails and pushed me farther than I thought I could go. I thank my brother, Douglas Robertson, whose encouragement as an artist has been never-ending; it got me here. Thank you to the students, staff, and faculty of Regent: you have been with me on this journey, and I will never forget you. I also want to thank another person who made it possible for me to be at Regent at all, my grandfather, George M. Robertson.