One's perception informs one's reality. Do you perceive a glass filled half way with water as half empty or half full?

We know about positive thinking, how putting on a happy face or whistling a happy tune can help create a change.

Unfortunately positive thinking and acting does little good when one is sitting in a hospital waiting room anxious about whether a loved one will pull through. Granted, people with faith (also known as believers, observant, spiritual, etc.) will turn to prayer in times of trouble. People who do not consider that they have any religious or spiritual belief will also pray or turn in some way to a Higher Power; there is an old saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. People with more religious training may even say something along the line of, the Lord works all things for good for those who are followers.

Words of prayer, quoting the Bible, hymns, spiritual texts, etc, can be comforting in times of trouble. But, seated in an institutional hospital room lacks visual comfort, no matter how many pretty prints of flowers and seascapes are used to decorate the walls. Those pictures are irrelevant to the situation at hand.

Still, the fact, both scientifically and theologically the glass is not half full or empty – it is actually completely and utterly full!

How?

There is a Jewish expression that says, “We are walking in Torah [Pentateuch].” Similarly, Jesus taught the kingdom of God is at hand. Although that gospel quote has often bee taken to mean that the Messiah or Second Coming was imminent, for the past two thousand years that interpretation has not proved true. Could it be that Jesus meant nothing less than what he said? That the kingdom of God is no further from us that we can extend our hand? Or even, as close to us as our hands, which most of us keep rather close for most tasks and when at rest? Are we walking in Torah? Can we touch and feel the kingdom of God ? Is it really here?

According to the basic theology of all the Abrahamic faiths (Jewish, Christian and Muslim) we are surrounded by, waling in, touching, even breathing in the very Words of God. Not just any words of God but the Biblical words, especially beginning with Genesis chapter one, with the words, “Let there be light.” According to our traditions those words comprised of Hebrew letters form the essential basis, the pre matter of our physical universe. Elementary particle physics refers to this pre matter as vibrating waves, membranes and/or strings.

Most of us know from science class that the matter of the physical universe is made up of atoms, which in turn are made of smaller particles. We know the chemical (atomic) composition of water is H2O. We have understood, even imagined that a half full or empty (depending on one's view point) glass of water actually contains a whole lot of the compound H2O – two hydrogen atoms combined with one oxygen atom.

OK, but what about the rest of the glass, the part that does not contain water? Well, it contains something. In most instances that would be oxygen. So, we could say that the glass contains 2 parts hydrogen and 4 parts oxygen, with the two parts of oxygen combined with only one of the parts of oxygen. The glass is always full of elements and/or compound. It is only based on our focus on the water in the glass that informs a decision that the glass is half empty or full. It is neither. The glass is always full! That is simple science.

Simple or elementary theology informs us that the glass is full of the words of the Creator. In fact the glass itself, the surrounding space, the table cloth, the table, everything in the room, all the physical universe is comprised of the Words in Hebrew and that those Hebrew letters represent the essential vibrations (scientifically, wave like motions, membranes or strings).

Just as we cannot physically see atoms, no less the even smaller and even smaller waves/membranes/strings, we cannot see the Words of the Creator, no less the individual letters that make up the universe.

I believe that the essential job of any visual artist is to inform and inspire. So I paint using the Hebrew letters from Bible texts to visually represent elementary physic's theory. Visually, this says that no matter what, always and now we are surrounded by the very words of the Lord. It is my hope that in times of trouble, people who have seen my work will remember to see with that new reality, and find hope and comfort, and even meaning in the moment.

That the substance -- the understood essence-- of the walls and decor of even a hospital room, prison or funeral home would be a reminder and a comfort that the kingdom of heaven is always at hand.

The glass is always full if we learn how to focus on the true reality.