"I fell in love when I was 17... with God. A foolish girl with romantic notions about the life of a religious, but my love was passionate. Over the years my feelings have changed. He's disappointed me. Ignored me. We've settled into a life of peaceful indifference. The old husband and wife who sit side by side on the sofa, but rarely speak. He knows I'll never leave Him. This is my duty. But when love and duty are one, then grace is within you." -Mother Superior, The Painted Veil

 

            There is a different experience and response that occurs when behavior is rooted in love versus when it is rooted in duty. For the past few months I have mulled over possible connections and similarities between experiences that exist in both romantic and spiritual relationships. In a committed relationship, there are times of passion, intimacy, purity, and fullness. The greatest conflict comes when these feels are replaced with frustration, disappointment, misunderstandings, arguments, loneliness, and emptiness. This causes one to lose faith in the other person and love is then no longer easy. Eventually, a choice must be made. “Do I stay, or do I go?” Working with pen and watercolor, I aim to illustrate the complexity of this decision, the deciding factors, and the ultimate choice that must be made. Once decided, the commitment made to one person, one God, becomes one’s duty. Love isn’t always a feeling; it is a decision. But when love and duty exist hand in hand, one just might have stumbled upon grace.