A religion-themed postage stamp containing beautiful American art and design is now available to use in mailing your Christmas cards and letters to friends and family.
Image Source: United States Postal Service, United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
This Christmas stamp has spectacular colors and is a creative portrait of the “Holy Family Flight to Egypt.” Its amazing artwork portrays Joseph leading a donkey which carries Mary as she holds her baby Jesus. The background depicts a gorgeous early morning sunrise with golden clouds and a breathtaking scene of the desert lands as the family escapes from Bethlehem to go south into Egypt. The travelers are almost silhouetted in a deep royal purple tint – a reflection of the western sky.
There is a marvelous balance of color hues that infuse great meaning to this scene, which visually represents Matthew’s Biblical short account of the Holy Family. Warned by an angel, they immediately left that night with little food or water, fleeing from the murderous wrath of King Herod.
What is not described in the Bible is the appearance of the brilliant white star that is on the right of the stamp whose light shines on a village next to the sea in the distance. It apparently guided only this family into Egypt. Since they did not know the back roads needed to escape undetected, it is plausible that they sought such divine guidance.
Symbolically, the star has eight symmetric beams of light. The two brighter horizontal and vertical beams of light have the appearance of a cross, perhaps a sign of the future death of Jesus for mankind. Meanwhile, the four angular light beams emanating from the center seem to predict Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
Viewing this stamp inspired me to re-read “Matthew 2” in the Bible (www.BibleGateway.com). If you do likewise and carefully look at the stamp again, you may find it really is like a prayer of hope for the peace of Israel, Egypt, and the other countries of the modern Middle East. Here are three refugees successfully escaping from the tyranny of a dictator and murderer.
The religious-related Christmas stamps we all purchased in recent years were from the works of art of Renaissance painters of centuries ago. However, this stamp is a modern American design by “art director William J. Gicker, designer Greg Breeding, and artist Nancy Stahl.” You can see more of the art detail and appreciate its beauty by viewing it at the US Postal Service website: www.USPS.gov and click “shop” and “buy stamps” (viewing of the stamp is free). Click the picture: “Holy Family,” and “view larger image.”
You will be witnessing a work of great beauty, color, and meaning – all this in a 45-cent Forever stamp. Enjoy.
