June 10

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Slowing Down

Posted by on June 10, 2024 in Being Human | 2 Comments

Vincent van Gogh is one of my all-time favorite artists and I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon this painting by French painter, Léon-Augustin Lhermitte, titled Making Hay. As it turns out, Lhermitte was a great source of inspiration for Van Gogh. He became known as a painter of peasant life and Van Gogh also hoped to establish himself as a peasant painter. He regularly asked his brother Theo to send him reproductions of Lhermitte’s paintings. According to Van Gogh, “[Lhermitte] knows the figure in general, namely the tough, strict workman’s figure, inside and out and grasps his motives in the hearts of the people.”

Measuring approximately 7 x 9 feet, this painting is quite large. It beautifully captures a moment in the life of rural workers diligently harvesting hay in the golden light of a setting sun. Symbolically, the old man in the foreground is using a scythe, a traditional reference to the approach of death. This type of symbolism was widely employed at the end of the 19th century, along with an emphasis on the romanticized aspects of peasant life.

There is something about the peasant life that feels appealing. Times seem simpler, and the connection to the earth feels richer. I remember spending summer hours in my backyard growing up, getting my nose down to the ground and observing fleeting grasshoppers, following busy ants, and soaking up the warm sunshine. Those were good times.

Now, I’m far too busy for such things. Yet, slowing down invites us to trust in God’s provision instead of constantly striving for control. The harvest depends on many factors beyond human control, such as weather and soil fertility. Despite their hard work, farmers rely on God’s creation to bring forth the hay. Farming is an act of faith.

Being human connection: Take a moment to reflect on the current season of your life. Are there areas where you need to invest more effort, or perhaps where you need to let go and trust in God’s timing?

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and pluck up what is planted.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Featured art: Léon-Augustin Lhermitte, Making Hay,1887, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.