Saturday, November 14, 1998

Totem of faith: 20-foot backyard carving pays homage to Christianity's Jewish roots

By Laura Addison

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WICHITA, Kan. -- The prayer totem in Randy Joe Holden's back yard represents many things:

--Success in saving a privacy fence that stood in the path of a growing tree.

--An attempt to carve a tree sculpture as another artist has throughout Wichita.

--And, as it stands now, an homage to the Jewish history of Holden's Christian faith.

Holden, a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, converted to Roman Catholicism in 1994 but has been a Christian most of his life.

"At first, I just wanted to make it a sort of totem pole in honor of my Native American heritage," said Holden, who has both Blackfoot and Choctaw in his background. "I've always identified with that.

"I started with a primitive figure, and then I realized I could bring the spiritual into this, if I tried to depict my appreciation for the Jewish heritage we all share as Christians.

"I know there are very noble and devoted Christians who have never really considered their Jewish heritage," he said. "It's something a lot of people have not been enlightened about or had the opportunity to think about."

Holden said he tried to narrow the elements represented to six exclusively human figures of the Bible, "to show the entire plan of God."

"That was a pretty grand ambition, and it took me some time."

He began the last week in March by removing all the tree's limbs, stripping the bark, then carving into the wood using only a hatchet, a couple of chisels, a small handsaw and ropes to dismantle and lower limbs. He used his "facility" for tree climbing, gained in his youth. He also keeps in shape with power-lifting. "I just had confidence in my physical skills."

Holder describes his work, completed Aug. 30, as "primitive folk art." At bottom, there is a silver sword resting on a green background.

"I used the flaming sword to symbolize Adam after the fall," said Holder. "God placed the flaming sword to prevent his return to Eden."

Above the sword, in Holden's terms, a "humanoid" representing the back of a white-haired Noah's head, with arms aloft holding a bowl of stars (Genesis 22:7) to symbolize "Abraham, with whom God established the covenant," Holder said. "It is analogous to our own Christian heritage. We share in that covenant in principle, that promise, a rewarding of our faith."

Moving upward, Moses is represented by the tablets bearing the numbers of the Ten Commandments.

Above them, David ("a man after God's heart," I Samuel 13:13-14), is the most animalistic in appearance. He is labeled with a star of David on his chest, and his 12 teeth stand for the 12 tribes of Israel.

David's prominent nose is a natural projection of the tree's former limbs. His wide white eyes have no pupils, because they are "focused on the things of the spiritual world. His mouth is open, voicing a prayer, because David is renowned for his prayers." Two ears in bas-relief on the top of his head indicate that David is listening, alert to God's message, Holden said.

The totem is topped by a blue figure who prays with mouth open, head thrown back and hands lifted toward heaven.

"He represents the Christian church in general, St. Peter in particular, on whom Jesus founded his church," said Holden.

The bright, flat primary and secondary colors used in the totem reflect Holden's inability to distinguish tertiary colors and his "great appreciation for simple ideas which are boldly expressed."

Holden, who had the totem blessed by the Rev. Thomas Hoisington, the associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Church, said he has voiced prayers at its base and frequently prayed as he worked on it.

He said he would be willing to allow people into his yard by invitation on weekend days, by calling (316) 729-0557.