Behold, I Am With You
- Maximum Purchase:
- 1 unit
- Gift wrapping:
- Options available
- Author:
- Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević)
- Technique:
- Acrylic on gesso board
- Note:
- This painting—this little icon of light—is no longer available. However, it may be born again: if you wish, you can order a new one, and the author, Bishop Maxim, would be glad to paint it for you with joy.
- Charity:
- We invite you to participate in another almsgiving opportunity since all proceeds go to Diocesan charity program.
- Tax Deduction:
- With any painting purchase you will receive a formal acknowledgement letter to claim tax deduction. Your generosity will make a lasting impact on peoples in need.
- Contact:
- If you need any assistance with ordering paintings and icons, you are invited to write to us at info@sebastianpress.org.
Behold, I Am With You, acrylic on gesso board, Bishop Maxim, 2026
This is my first painting of 2026. Upon a surface that had already lived many lives—layers of color, crossings of chance and intention—Christ emerges in a Byzantine voice. He is not placed there by force; He arrives. He appears suddenly, almost quietly, as one recognizes a familiar face in a crowded street. This Christ greets the year before us. He stands within an age bruised by human suffering, scarred by cruelty, and unhealed memory. The wounds of the world are not concealed beneath fresh pigment; they remain, bearing witness. Yet from within that wounded ground, His presence rises— as an invitation and not as accusation. Here, Christ does not dominate history; He interrupts despair. He comes as hope that does not shout, as comfort that does not erase pain, as a promise that refuses to be extinguished. In the old Byzantine manner—timeless, frontal, unwavering—He looks at us and waits. This is a greeting for 2026: not naïve, not triumphant, but faithful. A reminder that even now, especially now, hope can still appear—unexpectedly, gently, and for everyone.
