Grace Commons | Atonement

Each day of our lives is full of mystery and promise, as well as threats and fear. What does it take  to balance that tension? As stand-alone humans, it is impossible, but with the help of Our Lord, it  is definitely possible. Better yet, we can tip the scales toward a more peaceful walk by submitting  to our Savior, allowing Him to redeem us from our struggles, and partnering with Him as we live  out our callings. What keeps us from this union? Sadly, it is sin, and sin must be confessed and  forgiven so one can be reconciled to God. This action is a form of “atonement,” a reconciliation  and restoration of the broken relationship between God and sinful humanity. As stated in 1 John  2:2, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” To be reunited and one with God, we must remove sin and become more like Christ. This task is not easy and often requires many moments of  remorse, reflection, and sanctification, yet we all deeply desire reconciliation, especially in those  moments when it seems most absent, the least possible.  

The works of art in the “Atonement” exhibition by Sandra Ceas and Levi Nelson capture many  individual expressions of human experience, portrayed through materials, gestures, and  compositions, each with an overarching ethos of worship and prayer. These works sometimes  whisper and sometimes scream toward the heavens for justice and our deep need for the  wholeness of Jesus. Note the tension in Levi’s pieces that juxtapose delicacy with crudeness,  illustrating the unique challenge of maintaining balance amid life’s tenuous gravity. His colors  and textures evoke a fleshy connection to royalty as one’s eye absorbs the holistic intensity of the  bold, barbed pieces paired with the vulnerable doilies and lace. Compare that experience with  your response to Sandra’s quieter art, full of reflective whispers that portray a different movement through life and also carry the summons to live in balance. Her colors and  compositions ease across the canvas, offering more isolated moments of reflection and  connection. No matter where you currently stand in life, stand with Christ so you too can be  “one” with Him. His grace and forgiveness are the beginning of your new walk toward  reconciliation, redemption, and atonement. 

Showing at Grace Commons Church in Boulder, Colorado

January - April 2026