It began many years ago, as I stood in anatomy class holding a sheep's heart in my hand.  I was recalling a lecture about the coronary arteries and the translation of coros as crown.  As I pondered this thing in my hand that was no doubt slimy and obscure it struck me how much these arteries looked like thorns.  It was then that the realization of the reference "crown of thorns" hit me.  We are created in God's image.  It doesn't matter what your religious beliefs or lack there of are; we are most definetaly amazing, divine creations. 
       
The search was on.  I began to learn about the body and its connections to spiritual literature.  I see the body as radiating energy all about, in and around it.  Metaphorically and at times literally.  For example, The human heart sends off more energy in one beat, than the brain does all day. 

Each one of our bodies is a unique creation with variances and individuality.  My insides have the same basic layout as most everyone else (although some people have transposed, missing or fused organs) but the strengths and weakness of them are different.  A person may have an extra vertebra or an extra rib or may be missing one.  Extra fingers and toes are not uncommon, though in the United States they are frequently removed.  Many of these variances we are taught to be fearful of  as medically risky.  Indeed, some can be life threatening, but that does not change the wonder of our creation.  A "defect" that came from a parent's self abuse or from a genetically passed on trait, or from some other know or unknown source becomes irrelevant in the functioning in day to day life.  We do the best we can with what we have.  Besides, our bodies, in perfection, are designed to live a VERY long time.  We abuse ourselves, our environment abuses us, and we abuse each other.  If this most sacred vessel were treated with a little more reverence and appreciation, how much more satisfing our existence would be.

As a registered nurse specializing in cardiac (heart) care, I work with people in suffering all the time.  Everyone of them, I need to remind about healthy diet, the importance of exercise, stress management and a little bit of self love.  I have to remind myself every day of the same things.

We are sacred creations.  If you just see blood and guts, then you are only seeing the outside.  How did we form?  How did these references and names that live in the body, Bible, and other spiritual texts come to be?  What is the relationship?  What is the signifigance?  Why are we here? 

I hope that my artistic vision is an eye opening experience for others and fosters an awakening to the amazingness that we are.  I hope that there is recognition of the human condition, good, bad, or otherwise, as living in our anatomy.  Our sufferings as well as our dreams and aspirations live in all of us in a very physical way.  The body is our Temple. 

 

 

© Copyright 2005 Deborah Finn Romero. "DeborahFinnRomero.com" All rights reserved. All images and content are the property of Deborah Finn Romero unless otherwise noted. If you want to reproduce, contact the artist to receive permission.