Beautiful ordinary people

In God’s Image Ray Dirks. Herald Press in cooperation with the Mennonite Heritage Centre. 143 pages. Hard cover $43.99 Cdn., soft cover $29.99.

My first encounter with In God’s Image was during children’s time in our church. After each child was given a book from our pastor, my daughter returned to her seat with Ray Dirks’s book in her hands. My daughter, an avid art lover and hopeful anthropologist, enjoyed this book because of the beautiful art work and interesting stories from people around the world. Shortly after my daughter and I shared the stories and pictures I was asked to write a review; one of God’s amazing yet simple plans comes together again, I thought.

As an artist and educator, I was immediately absorbed by this book. The stories are simple and the pictures believable. In fact, it is the simple truths in this book that make it both unique and profound.

Ray Dirks sets off on a journey across the world to document the lives of ordinary people within the context of the Mennonite faith. Amidst the growing concerns of so many impoverished countries, the Anabaptist faith brings hope of community, peace and healing. Dirks brings to attention the paradox between unity within a global faith community and the beautiful diversity among different cultures. His message is that of cultural preservation and global faith.

Because so many of the places Dirks encountered were stricken with poverty, he wanted to show the good that emerges from people who live with so little. “Many African countries do have more than their share of extreme poverty,” he says, “but labelling a place as hopeless simply because of a lack of material wealth creates an incomplete picture.” He provides intimate stories of people who demonstrate hospitality as they open their homes and lives to him.

As an artist, I was impressed with Ray’s inclusion of artwork by individuals from each country he visited. Seeing these images of faith and cultural diversity gave me as much an understanding about people as their stories. Dirks includes many photographs; these images are revealing and honest. The photos seem like quick snapshots, making you feel you are the person with the camera. My favourite was that of a young African girl waiting outside of a church. She was wearing warm clothes, including a hat with USA knitted into it. Clearly, other countries are not isolated from Western capitalism yet they continue to find ways to express their individuality. Opposite this image is a stunning acrylic painting by a local artist, Tomy Ndebele. Warm colours capture bright sunlight typical of the climate, while bold black lines show the strength of the people.

I wanted to grab my hiking boots and board the first plane to another continent to meet these wonderful people. “It was as if God was making the point that all people are created in His image,” Dirks writes, “. . . that all people are equal in the eyes of God.”

Sheila Karrow is a visual artist and teacher from Waterloo, Ontario.