https://benwildflower.com/products/jubilee-crossThis piece was created as a commission for Jubilee Baptist Church, an explicitly anti-capitalist congregation working together to free each other from debt.
My hope was that anyone familiar with the San Damiano cross and the Catholic Worker’s masthead would immediately see the (blunt, explicit) echoes of those in this print. The story goes that Jesus said to St Francis, “Rebuild my church,” from the San Damiano cross, which I copied the overall shape of this for. I thought that was fitting since Jubilee Baptist is both a replanting of an old congregation and an attempt to breathe fresh life into a tradition in need of rebuilding.
I chose the text because I like the good news for workers (like me!) I think just about anybody can relate to being weary and heavy laden and my hope is that the meeting place where people see this every week is a place they get to lay those burdens down.
One of the taglines the leaders of this church have settled on is Worship/ Gather/ Struggle/ Liberate. I chose to add the bread and wine, Pentecost spirit flame dove, fists raised in solidarity, and broken shackles to represent the four of those respectively at the four corners of the cross.
Workers of the world, Jesus loves you.
Available for purchase at https://benwildflower.com/products/jubilee-cross.
