Artist: M Alice Abrams
Title: Embracing Anger, Releasing Hope
Medium: Linoleum Block Print, metal leaf
Size: 7 x9 in.
Artist Statement: 
What happens when something swells to the very edges of its boundaries? It bursts.
 
I imagine a burst of rage when Christ walked through the threshold of the temple and saw his Father's house defiled by those seeking to profit off of those who were there to humbly worship. Enough was enough. The disrespect has built to the point that it could no longer be contained. Christ’s political and religious lives had come to a head, and walking into the final week of his life, he filled his days being more rebellious, more loving, and more devoted to his purpose. He was the definition of the “good trouble” Congressman John Lewis spoke of. He wasn’t afraid to upset the status quo to defend those who were most vulnerable, even when it upset those in power and threatened his life. 
 
When Christ went to the temple during Holy Week, he found it defiled by people trying to turn a profit on those who had little to sacrifice. I imagine inflated prices, shoddy product, and an irreverent bustle that is unfitting for a holy house of God. It was time to cleanse.
 
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that three of the four gospels share this story. It must have upset the status quo of the local leaders who cemented the idea that “we really gotta do something about this Jesus guy”. If the vendors weren’t making money in the temple, I’d be willing to wager other, more powerful individuals weren’t making money either. Christ didn’t care who stood to benefit, but always sought out who was being harmed. The character of Christ has always reflected one who stands firmly on the side of the marginalized, ten toes down. May we choose today to never sit at the tables Jesus would flip.