The Voyage of Life

The size and the beauty of the paintings are almost overwhelming. 

Deep within the halls of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. is a display with four walls separated by a gap large enough for a visitor to walk through. Each wall hosts one of the series painted by Thomas Cole entitled The Voyage of Life. The scenes are breathtaking. 

The first, entitled Childhood, depicts a smooth-flowing river lined by a lush, verdant bank. Everything is calm, warm and sheltered. The boat is new, beautiful, intact and guided by an angel. The traveler is a very young child whose face shows signs of awe, wonder and innocence. 

The next wall hosts the painting entitled Youth. The scene radiates with energy. While the landscape remains green and lush, the river becomes wider, opening to a white, billowy castle. The scene seems to represent dreams, aspirations and confidence. The traveler is a young man who has apparently taken over the tiller and is guiding his boat. The angel is on the shore, watching.

Turning to the next wall, the painting titled Manhood looms in front of us. We are startled by the significant change in color, terrain and mood. The river rushes over treacherous rocks producing white water, deadly whirlpools and hazardous currents. The landscape is increasingly barren, dry and wind-torn. The traveler is a grown man; his face etched with the pain of past experience and fear for the future. His hand is no longer on the tiller; he has lost control of the boat. The angel hovers in the far distant sky. 

Completing the 360-degree turn to the fourth and last painting, we gaze at Old Age. The traveler is an old man reaching the end of his earthly life. The river is once again calm as it broadens into a vast, eternal sea. The landscape is bare. The angel hovers close and points the way toward an opening horizon, a host of angelic beings and the hint of heaven.

We finished studying the four grand paintings. Oddly, we felt deeply disturbed. It seemed to us that the transition from adulthood to old age was abrupt and a little too hasty for our comfort. We wanted the traveler to have more time before slipping off into what seems to be his eternal destiny.

Boldly, Richard walked into the gap flanked by Adulthood and Old Age and spread his arms wide. Like Samson between the famous temple pillars, he pushed hard against the two gallery walls. “There’s something missing!” he cried. “An entire stage of life is not here.”

His defiant action illustrates our deep belief and what has become the foundation for Re-Ignite. And the paintings are now integral to facilitating life review in retreats and seminar settings!

Excerpt from Third Callilng: What are you doing the rest of your life?
by Richard and Leona Bergstrom, Chapter 4, pages 25-27.© 2016