How Experiencing the Humanity in Jesus Inspires Faith
The heartbeat of our work at Belóved Gallery is the unique and deeply personal stories we receive from our guests. While similarities can often be found within these stories, one theme has consistently emerged: guests notice the humanity of Jesus found in Akiane’s paintings. They express how much His humanity connects to their hearts. They feel seen and understood, valuing that Jesus walked on this earth and shared in our suffering.
During an #iam_beloved interview, Beami Strong shared about his life prior to his first visit to Belóved Gallery. He endured a lot of trauma growing up, often questioning his worth and purpose on earth. Beami had been introduced to God but struggled to connect with Him.
“I wondered about Jesus and asked, ‘Is this guy even real?’” Beami expressed. “Many people feel like they can’t relate to Jesus because they think he’s a bigger-than-life entity. That’s how I felt. How could He understand my problems?”
One day, working as an Uber driver, Beami dropped a handful of people off at Belóved Gallery. Out of curiosity, he returned the next day to tour the exhibition, Akiane: The Early Years. Standing before the Prince of Peace painting, Beami was struck by the humanity portrayed in the face of Jesus.
“I was so overcome with emotion, I had to sit down,” he later shared.
Beami learned about Jesus’s life on earth and that He was fully God and fully human. Not only did Jesus feel the full range of human emotions, but He endured great heartbreak and suffering. He was persecuted, abused, and betrayed.
“I felt like I could relate to things Jesus experienced,” Beami shared. “That changed everything.”
Jesus, in His human form, became touchable to Beami. Because of that, a newfound hope began guiding Beami’s life.
Another guest saw Akiane’s art in person for the first time while struggling to find work. Tiffany wondered if God was present in her situation. She pointed out Akiane’s unique way of portraying Jesus in the various stages of His earthly life, as seen in paintings like Dreams and The Missing Years, both on view at Belóved Gallery.
“To know that He was a human being—that He came as a baby, grew into a toddler, a child, a teenager, and a grown man—and to know He’s had all the same experiences we’ve had, it allows for a deeper personal connection to Him,” she mused.
When Tiffany stood before the Prince of Peace, she was familiar with the face as a child because her grandmother displayed a print of the painting in her home. Seeing the face again, this time the original artwork, she felt an overwhelming reassurance that Jesus understood and was with her. It wasn’t too long after that Tiffany found a job.
These reflections from our guests feel timely, as so many people are looking for evidence of goodness amidst the suffering of this world. Their stories signify a longing in the human heart: to know that we aren’t alone in our most significant challenges and darkest moments. Our spirits cry out for a God near us who knows what it is like to walk on this groaning earth with broken hearts. The glorious thing is that we have One in Jesus.
When Akiane painted her portrait of Jesus, “the face of love,” she was compelled to portray Him with light on one side of his face and shadow on the other. In her book, Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry, she writes, “The light side of his face represents Heaven. And the dark side represents suffering on Earth. His light eye in the dark shows He’s with us in all our troubles, and He is the Light when we need Him.” Even as an eight-year-old, Akiane understood the importance of a Heavenly God being with us in our sufferings.These reflections from our guests feel timely, as so many people are looking for evidence of goodness amidst the suffering of this world. Their stories signify a longing in the human heart: to know that we aren’t alone in our most significant challenges and darkest moments. Our spirits cry out for a God near us who knows what it is like to walk on this groaning earth with broken hearts. The glorious thing is that we have One in Jesus.
Philippians 2:6-8 tells us: “6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross." (NLT)
Jesus’s suffering revealed His humanity, but even more so, it is evidence of His eternal love for us. The One who knows what it’s like to be God also knows what it’s like to be human. The One who could do anything in His Divinity gave it all to be with us in our humanity. Jesus’s human actions are a model for walking through this life and overcoming challenges. His earthly steps show us the way to eternal victory. His human death and divine resurrection ensure that suffering doesn’t get the final say.
That, beloved, is a story worth telling.
“I felt very ashamed that I had lived so close to this gallery and had not been until today. From the people serving in the cafe to the tour guide through the exhibit, everyone was kind, polite, and informed. It was eye-opening, and I felt I had witnessed something truly spiritual.”
– Jimette
A limited number of signed Father Forgive Them prints are on their way to Belóved Café!
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