Hope Rope
© 1993 Ginger Henry Geyer
glazed porcelain
1 1/2" x 14" x 13 1/2"
This piece was inspired by an associate pastor who always gave a buoyant benediction from Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
Abounding in hope just sounded like jumping rope. And, hope must be exercised. Later I learned that the Hebrew word gawah, sometimes translated as hope, also means to twist or twine. As a kid, I loved to jump rope; maybe that's why I enjoy words so much---research now tells us that jump-roping develops pattern and rhythm necessary for reading. Note the three inscriptions on this piece:
LEAP OF FAITH (scratched into the "wet cement")
abound in Hope (drawn with chalk)
jump for joy! (a tiny inscription on the red handle)