Grind 'Til You Shine: Mural Completed at Art for Jobs

Artist Brandon Marshall recently completed a mural on the west wall of our building with the inspirational words "Grind Til You Shine." The mural also contains symbols and imagery that came directly from Brandon's brainstorming session with Jobs for Life participants where they discussed the beautiful things and the challenges that they see in their community. (SEE FULL ARTIST'S STATEMENT BELOW). The mural has serpents to represent the fall, circling arrows to represent renewal and change, and an apple to represent a plant bearing fruit. When asked what the phrase "Grind 'til you shine," meant to him, participant Walter Brown, said "Staying down for what you really want, working until you get a better outcome." There's much more packed into this beautiful piece; stop by to see it and learn more. More pictures from Art for Jobs are here; thank you for supporting this event!

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Because we talked so much about the importance of Booker T. Washington in the community, we wanted to use some kind of reference to the school itself. We mentioned how something having to do with the mascot, "The Warriors," could be a good metaphor to relate to the mission of Advance Memphis, as well as a reference to the people in the neighborhood, encountering their own day to day battles, and fighting for their families.  This is why I adopted a traditional Native American art motif: I think that it's unique, transcendent (which also relates to the Gospel) and relates to Battle and the Supernatural. 

Another important element that kept being mentioned was the Grizzlies basketball team. While I did not feel a straightforward Grizzlies logo would be appropriate, I did choose a Bear as the central figure for the piece. The Bear is not only a subtle reference to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Spirt of Grit and Grind, but it also represents strength, persistence, and overcoming hardship. It is framed by two wings with Crosses in them to symbolize freedom within the Gospel.

You will notice that below the bear figure are two serpents, which is a reference to the Creation & Fall story in Genesis. The snakes are placed below the Bear, encouraging the viewer to rise above temptation.  You can also see that within the snakes there are the three circular arrows which refer back to the Negative Life Cycle that so many become trapped in.  Again, this is a reminder to the neighborhood, and especially the graduates to rise above the temptation of becoming stuck once again in the Cycle.  Above the Bear there is a small Apple, which is a Biblical Reference to Bearing Fruit. These things are strategically placed above the serpents as things to focus on and strive for. Because they are at the top in the hierarchy of scale, they become more important. 

I also used the image of Hands 'holding' Hope, as well as Arrows pointing up based off a sketch that one of the people in the class did. I'm not sure if the wall will permit for this exact composition, but if need be I can use the Hands on the sides of the mural. 

One of the other things the class mentioned that was unique to the neighborhood was the movie Hustle and Flow, and how it was filmed in the area.  While we could all agree maybe the message about the lifestyles of the characters in the movie was not appropriate to reference, the class did say that it was important to note that everyone in the neighborhood had a hustle.  Everyone had a Grind, whether that be washing cars, cutting grass, and so on. No one could deny that inside of every community member was the God-Given desire to work hard and enjoy the labor of their hands. So something I thought of that might speak specifically to the community was the phrase, "Grind Til You Shine." Maybe unconventional, but I believe everyone who lived in the area would appreciate it.

Thanks, Brandon. 

The Complexity and Shame of Addiction

Compiled by Cindy Goad from materials edited by David Sper, written by Tim Jackson and Jeff Olson, "When We Just Can't Stop: Overcoming Addiction"

Addictions raise many questions. Are they moral weaknesses, diseases, habits, or sins? Are they physical dependencies, or complicated spiritual cycles? What’s needed for change? Is it medical treatment, family intervention, daily group accountability, or spiritual transformation? Can behaviors be changed quickly, or will recovery be the process of a lifetime? The answer to these questions are anything but simple. Honesty demands that we acknowledge the complexity of addiction. Defining Addiction: An addiction is an enslaving, destructive dependency… “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.”

Because a person can be physically predisposed to an addiction, and because of the likelihood of medical complications, addictions are often viewed as a disease. It would be a mistake, however, to think only in terms of the physical dimensions. Most addictions are rooted in moral choices and spiritual needs. 

What is most important is not whether we are predisposed to an enslaving habit, but whether we are willing to do whatever it takes to bring this predisposed “diseased body,” habit or idol under the control of reason and faith. Addictions are not just diversions of choice. We see them as lifeboats necessary for our survival. Addictions give us something we believe we must have in order to live. They provide predictable relief and power in an unpredictable and painful world.  Our addictions provide a remedy that helps us to forget the pain--at least for a little while.  In time, they become worse than the pain we were trying to relieve. Now we find ourselves needing relief not only from our inescapable losses but also from the shame of our own foolishness. We feel shame for an addictive behavior that made our problems worse. 

Shame, however, is also a deceiver. In the beginning, pleasure holds us in the addiction.
In time, shame has the same effect. 

With shame, unless you first identify the problem, you will pass by the many treatments in Scripture without ever seeing or hearing them. Shame. You feel worthless, rejected, dirty and exposed. Sometimes you feel it because of what you have done, in which case your badness must exceed community standards. Shame attaches itself to our sins and does indeed have many faces. It seems to be everywhere and yet still be elusive. Maybe that’s why we can’t do anything with it until we put words on it. But God puts words on it, so we should too. That itself can be hopeful. It can also leave us wanting more. If you want more right away, just watch Jesus. He goes out of his way to meet, touch, bless and restore the shamed and addicted. 

At this crossroads of invitation, there is an opportunity for change. It is an opportunity to discover life through a process of admitting our addiction, acknowledging our pain, accepting responsibility for the damage we've done, pleading for mercy, choosing surrender, and caring for others. Here at this crossroads, our hearts can come alive in the presence of One who, while knowing everything about us, still wants to come into us and be the God and Friend we've been looking for. It will become clear that we need undeserved help and forgiveness. Mercy will become our new found joy. Mercy invites us to a change of heart, a repentance, that will cause us to gladly turn from our idolatrous obsessions. With failure behind us, mercy now calls us to a new dependence on God. For the first time, we will have more than momentary pleasure. Now we will have reason to destroy the idol and break all ties with it.

In our reflective moments we will always have to admit that the pleasure of our addiction doesn't deserve to be compared to the mercies of God. 

Titus 2:11-14 

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

--Cindy Chapple | Leader of Overcoming through Christ at Advance Memphis | cgoad@advancememphis.org