Behold the Fowls of the Air

Trinh Mai

Mai’s mural for the Lydia House, a shelter for women and families, depicts birds and plants, connected with string that stretches throughout the mural. Trinh connects these images to stories and lessons within the Bible, saying this;

“In Acts 16, we are introduced to Lydia of Thyatira who was a faithful business woman of textiles who was known for her luxurious Tyrian purple dyes. A Lazuli bunting, American goldfinch, and European goldfinch gather Lydia’s purple threads to build their home. The threads are the lifeline to redemption and they are plenty. Perfectly echoing God’s will for Lydia House, the threads are painted in Izmir purple—named after a Turkish city just north of Ephesus, which was the first recorded sanctuary city as documented in the scriptures.

While the Lazuli bunting prepares to weave—its name Lazuli deriving from the Medieval Latin word lazulum which translates to heaven—a European goldfinch guards the entrance of the garden. Because of their appetite for thistle seeds, goldfinches were often presented in devotional paintings during the Renaissance era as the thistle thorns echoed the crown of thorns borne by Christ.

In this verdant garden, dandelion and sage take root, their medicinal properties offer healing to the ones who dwell here. They serve as a necessary reminder of God’s providence and provision, his exceedingly abundant blessings, and his promise of purpose in our lives.

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? – Matthew 6:26”