DAVID J. HETLAND * LITURGICAL & PUBLIC ART

     Let Heaven and Nature Sing is the mural for the 71st annual Concordia College Christmas Concert. All of Creation here unites in a jubilant pilgrimage to the birthplace of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
     From Jesse's roots, the crucified and resurrected figure of Christ rises from the creche to bear the tree of Life -- always green, adorned with the twelve rich fruits of discipleship. A heavenly host of angels surrounds its branches: at the Annunciation to Mary, proclaiming Christ's birth to the world with an uplifted Nativity Star, and praising God with horn blast, harp, lyre and clanging cymbals. In nearby fields, an angel brings the Good News to fearful shepherds. Magi follow the Star to Bethlehem, and the blessed of all generations come to adore the Christ child in a humble stable.
     Caroling birds, fish of the sea, verdant fields of wildflowers and animals of every description join in this celebration. Even the trees of the wood clap their hands and shout for joy, their humanlike shapes retracing the central cruciform, their rich colors assuring hope for another season.
     In this setting, Christ is the masterful flame that brings a dark world into the light and warmth of day. Sun, moon and myriad dancing stars yield to a glorious morning, bright under the rainbow of God's eternal promise. Symbolised by the spiraling central nautilus, Creation's order explodes with life. this shape is echoed in the Flood's thundering waves and in the parting veil of clouds -- and each of us is afforded a glimpse of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem.

This mural is several panels wider than the section included in the image above. Here is another view of it, less visible detail, but you can see the dramatic sweep of the design, from one side to the other.

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