And a certain scribe came, and said unto [Jesus], Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (Matthew 6:19-20, KJV)
Nesting birds appear again as an emblem of peace and security in this saying from Jesus, where he identifies with the poorest of the poor who have no permanent roof over their heads, a timely message in an era when greedy realtors like the rich man in Christ's parable in Luke 12:16-21 tear down East Wings in build ballrooms. Mississippi Visionary Artist Carl Dixon gives the Gospel narrative a contemporary spin in this mixed media on sculptured wood panel image, where we view the solitary Christ seated in the center of the panel beside foxes in their lairs and birds nesting in trees, while the modern homeless behind him find a safe haven as best they can under trees, discarded packing boxes, and improvised tent shelters. (John Kohan)