Inspired by Scripture, Danish artist Louise Merian Johanna Rosenlyng, designed artwork for the LWF’s Christmas card this year.
Danish artist Louise Merian Johanna Rosenlyng creates the 2022 LWF Christmas card on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. Photo: Interchurch
Danish artist contributes artwork on creation and Christmas
(LWI) - The Christmas season is a time to remember how God holds the whole of creation in God’s hands. This year, the design for The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Christmas card comes from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. The painting by artist Louise Merian Johanna Rosenlyng is inspired by the Bible verses in Col 1.15-16, "[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible.”
The painting is a reflection on the world on the fourth day of creation. It shows an intricately detailed cathedral whose features evoke in the artist "how all of creation praises God.” There are trees growing in the cathedral that remind the viewer of the interdependence of all of creation because trees “provide the ‘life force’ of oxygen for all breathing creatures. And we are all held together” by God, said Rosenlyng.
[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible
– (Col 1:15,16)
“In Denmark, there is a concern with climate change,” Rosenlyng also said, adding that she hoped that seeing the strong connection between nature and God would “help my country come to sustainable solutions for the world.”
Rosenlyng enjoys creating art as a pastime alongside her studies of archeology. The artwork is painted on wood with acrylic paint.
Every year, the LWF invites member churches to contribute a design for the Christmas card. In 2021, the art was created by Myanmar artist Seint Sanhtay, representing the Federation of Lutheran Churches in Myanmar.
