Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Working with olive wood and revealing every color is a surprise to the artist. With this element of surprise, olive wood remains one of the most unique woods to work with.
As the outer world is sufficiently vicious to barbed wire your praying hands and corner you with unlimited disappointments or dissatisfaction, believing and having faith remain the source of protection against all pain, agony, or destruction. The power of prayers guarantees your protection against any tormenting thought, assault, obstacle, or barrier placed in front of you.
To the Lord, every human matters, all olive wood-colors matter, as well as all skin-tones matter in a world which cannot make it to the level of humanity as wood can!
Artist Tariq Salsa
The beauty of working with olive wood; as chisels move, a different tone of color is revealed as a surprise to the artist. This element of surprise gets you to understand a lot about the most celebrated tree in the bible. Olive wood remains one of the most unique woods to work with.
Prayers can transcend your spiritual abilities, allowing you to be competent to courageously face what life throws at you. The carvings on the praying hands illustrating the wounds reflect the weakness of the “flesh”.
Prior to Jesus’ prosecution, he gathered with his twelve disciples in the Mount of Olives and informed them they will abandon him as soon as He gets to the court.
Even though He knew this, He went to Gethsemane and prayed. Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This statue is a powerful reminder of the endless hope, a source of relief that prayers are the strongest tool against the vicious world.
