The Colors of Schmutz ===================== Mandy: Schmutz, we've had a big introduction. Why don't you come out? Schmutz: (excited/embarrassed) I'm embarrassed. Mandy: You don't have to be embarrassed. Come on out. Let everyone see you. Schmutz: (laughing nervously) Hi Mandy. I've been to Art Camp. I've been working on some projects. Mandy: What sort of projects? Schmutz: Well I, I made you some pictures... Mandy: For me. Well Schmutz, I'm honored. Schmutz: It's really hard to do pictures when you don't have hands... Mandy: I understand... Schmutz: Here's the first one... (gives her paper entirely colored black) Mandy: (trying to be encouraging) Wow, you used a lot of black crayon. Schmutz: This is from my dark period. I go through long dark periods. Mandy: Here let's hang it up so everyone can see it. (pins it to stage curtain) Schmutz: The teacher told us, just close your eyes, and draw whatever you see. I call it "Nothing" Mandy: I see that now. Schmutz: (embarrassed) I made another one for you. Here. (Hands her empty page) Mandy: This one is all red Schmutz: My art teacher said I could try something with a bit more color. (Nervous) I did the best I could... Mandy: (giving him a comforting pat) It's nice Schmutz. Schmutz: It's actually Kool-Aid in my favorite flavor. Mandy: What's your favorite flavor? Schmutz: Red. I love the taste of red. Are you going to hang it up? Mandy: Um, sure. Thanks. Schmutz: Here's the next one. (Hands her blank page) Mandy: (looks on both sides) Thanks. This one is a bit difficult to find. Schmutz: No, it's on the other side. Mandy: Right. This is a blank sheet. Schmutz: Yeah. I wanted to do something totally different. I call it "Polar Bear in a Snow Drift." Mandy: Definitely different. Schmutz: Hang it up right here. See the juxtaposition of the abstract pattern shift of the first to the unilateral third? Mandy: What are you talking about? Schmutz: I don't know. That's what my art teacher said. Mandy: Art teachers are that way sometimes. Schmutz: Here's the next one. (Page colored entirely green) Mandy: Okay. Schmutz: This is called "How my Front Lawn looks to the Birds." Mandy: I can see that. But aren't birds color blind? Schmutz: Ah, but it doesn't matter if they're wearing green sunglasses. Okay, here's the last one. (Paper painted entirely gold) Mandy: Gold. Schmutz: How'd you know? Mandy: That's what color it is. Schmutz: Oh. Mandy: So what is this a picture of? Schmutz: Gold... A big bar of it... Close up... Mandy: Do you know, Schmutz. All of these pictures kind of tell a story. Schmutz: A story? Is it a story about small monsters on the brink of despair going to art camp? Mandy: No, a different story. The Gold picture here reminds me of heaven. There, the streets are made of gold. Nobody is ever sick, and nobody ever dies. Everyone in heaven will be perfectly happy forever. And God the Father will be there and best of all His Son Jesus. Schmutz: Wow, I'd like to go there. I'd like to be perfectly happy. Mandy: For that we'll have to go to the beginning of the story. To your Dark Period. It's dark because of sin. Sin is wanting your own way. It is thinking, saying, or doing something wrong. Sin separates us from God because God is perfectly right. Sin has to be punished, and that punishment is separation from God forever. Schmutz: Oh no! I'll never be good enough for that. Mandy: But there's good news, Schmutz! God knows that you can never be good enough, and since He loves us so much, He sent His own Son Jesus to make a way to be forgiven. Schmutz: What's that? Mandy: Well that leads us to your red picture. Red reminds me of something special Schmutz: Kool-Aid Mandy: It reminds you of Kool Aid. It reminds me of the blood of Jesus. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Jesus took the punishment of death. He suffered on the cross and said with a loud voice, "It is Finished." Then He died. He wasn't talking about His life being finished. He was talking about sin being paid for. And three days later, he rose again from the dead all by himself. Schmutz: With no doctors? Mandy: Doctors can't raise somebody from the dead. They can jumpstart somebody's heart if they get there on time. But Jesus was in the ground for 3 days! Schmutz: Then what happened? Mandy: That's picture number three. The clean paper. That's what Jesus did. The Bible says that God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believed in Him will not perish for their sins, but have everlasting life. Believe in His Son Jesus, and what He did on the cross. You too can be saved and be made as white as snow, or as white as this paper. He will clean your heart, and will give you the power to do right. Schmutz: And the Green? Mandy: The green reminds me of plants and trees and grass. When those things are green, they're growing. But when grass turns brown, it's dead. God wants us to grow as Christians. There are lots of things that help us Grow. Reading our Bible Going to church Spending time talking to God Tell other people about His gift to us. As we grow in Him, not only is our heart changed. The things we think and say and do are changed. And that brings us to the Gold again when we finally see Jesus and get to go to heaven. Schmutz: That's a good story, Mandy. And it's 100 % true. I think I'll color some more pictures for you to tell me stories. Mandy: Okay. Bye Schmutz!