Saint Moses the Black: It Is Never Too Late to Begin Again
What the video says
The video describes springtime at a monastery through the eyes of Mo, a newcomer who finds refuge in the forest whenever he feels like an outsider. As he spends more time among the trees, he begins noticing small, beautiful things, and the liturgy starts to look different to him. The artist explains being inspired by one of Mo's stories to try scratchboard art for the first time, recalling a story where an angel appeared during a confession and scrubbed a tablet clean, symbolizing the forgiveness of sins.
The artwork depicts Moses the Black, a fourth-century gang leader who fled to the desert for monastic life and became a great witness to repentance and grace.
Key moments
- Springtime at the monastery is unlike the city; the forest brims with new life while the city has damp garbage and half-melted snow.
- Whenever the lodge or monks remind Mo of his otherness, he steps outside; the forest doesn't ask questions or judge him.
- His sneakers wear thin from frequent hikes, and the more time he spends among the trees, the more he notices small things like the first warmth of spring beneath the soil.
- Liturgy starts looking different to him; at every service he notices something new, small but beautiful.
- The artist was inspired by Mo's story to try scratchboard, a page covered in ink that is scratched off with knife-like tools.
- The inspiration is a story of a confession to a spiritual father, during which an angel appeared scrubbing a tablet clean, turning white to signify the sins were forgiven.
- The artist admits it is their first scratchboard attempt and apologizes for their head taking up most of the shot.
- The artwork depicts Moses the Black, a fourth-century gang leader who fled to the desert for monastic life and became one of the church's brightest witnesses to repentance and grace.
The author marks the feast of Saint Moses the Black, calling him one of the greatest stories of repentance in Christianity. Moses was a fourth-century gang leader who fled to the Egyptian desert, embraced monastic life, and became one of the church's brightest witnesses to repentance and grace. The author is working on a novel about Abba Moses with a contemporary setting of guns, gangs, and corruption, and reflects that the wisdom of the desert fathers cuts through the centuries, pointing to Christ and teaching that it is never too late to turn to God.
No matter where a person stands today, they are not too far gone; the best day to make a new beginning is today. The post closes with a prayer that the strong saint whom the demons fear would remember us and pray for us. An accompanying video shows springtime at a monastery through the eyes of Mo, a newcomer who feels like an outsider and takes refuge in the forest, where the trees do not judge him.
As he spends time among them, he begins noticing small beautiful things, and the liturgy starts to look different to him. The artist explains that Mo's story inspired a first attempt at scratchboard art, recalling a tale in which an angel appeared during a confession and scrubbed a tablet clean, white as a sign that the sins were forgiven.
The finished artwork depicts Moses the Black himself, tying the desert father's story of leaving the old man behind to the ongoing invitation to repentance.
Main points
- Feast of Saint Moses the Black, a fourth-century gang leader who became a desert monk and a great witness to repentance.
- The author's novel retells his story in a contemporary setting of guns, gangs, and corruption.
- Central message: it is never too late; today is the best day to turn toward God.
- A video follows Mo, a monastery newcomer who finds peace in the forest and begins to see the liturgy differently.
- The artist's first scratchboard work depicts Moses, inspired by a story of an angel wiping a tablet clean at confession, signifying forgiven sins.