By my God I leap over walls
(Psalm 18:29)
A theological reflection by Ulrike Schuler, Professorin für Kirchengeschichte,
Methodismus & Ökumenik
Theologische Hochschule Reutlingen (FH)

The painter of this, on first sight, simple and naive little picture—Sieger Köder—is one of the best known ‘religious’ painters of the 20th century in Germany. He is treasured as a powerful and intense ‘preacher with pictures’. If this is true, then  what does he want to announce publicly with this picture? What is his sermon statement?
Here we see

a boy, an altar boy, at first sight merry and casual, fleet-footedly flying over obstacles. How he swings himself on a colossal lantern pole across three walls. He is obviously cheerful and casual. At first glance it is not clear what his situation is—which side of the walls did he start on? On the protecting safe side or on the maybe-risky side? And what propels him actually to do so?  Is he actually wishing to change his location or is he only spinning around for fun? Look at his impossible posture: while head and body are turned in direction of the observer, legs and feet are already turned toward the walls on the other side. Nevertheless his hands have a firm grip on the pole, which would allow him to just
swing around the lantern pole simply from high spirits – not to let go, only to enjoy the flying, the weightlessness.
All these thoughts are thrown into question, however, in view of the meaningful title: “By my God I leap over walls” – a declaration of an intimate and trusting connection which underlines that everything will be possible in company with God.
The Psalm the painter is reflecting on (Psalm 18) is a psalm of thankful dedication in complete dependence on God after a rescue from a life-threatening emergency situation. The threat is over and the one who is rescued thanks the rescuer in word pictures. The praise tumbles out of the praying man as he lists metaphorical descriptions of God: my rock, my fortress and my saviour; my shield, the strength of my salvation and my stronghold –pictures of personal experience.
The one who is saved has been at the boundary of an abyss, at the boundary of death – in a situation that absolutely needed a miraculous intervention. Reflecting on the escape, he compares the help of God to a light which illuminates the deepest darkness of his life; but God is not only light that cares for clearness—the light is also life-giving, expending energy to bring liberty – God shows the way out of any disaster.
With all this in mind, Sieger Köder’s painting becomes more meaningful and comprehensible. The lamp, taken as a whole, is the foothold as well as the light. It offers the chance to enlighten the dark shadows of insecurity between the walls – the undiscovered and unknown spaces.
In the painting there is no mention of existential needs, of persecution or death threats, no description of the intense encounter with God that the Psalmist describes. Köder’s representation is much less dramatic than the Bible text that inspired it. It is more modest. There is no ancient world of martial encounter between warring parties; rather we see our everyday world. The situation seems rather harmless, the ministrant looks rather childish.
However, what motivates the picture is, in my opinion, not at all banal. The painter takes up central subjects of the psalm: devotion, trust, optimism, border crossing, confidence and in the background—partly concealed—the space of the loyalty of God. All this arises in this picture not out of the experience of overcoming existential fear, rather out of the freedom and ease of childhood, out of undisturbed fundamental confidence.

The message is: Confidence radiates across borders – it lets us act trustfully.

Which walls surround the little altar boy? Which walls surround us? Walls of jealousy; walls of envy; walls of prejudice; walls of fear of investing too much time in getting to know each other instead of doing our job; walls of sadness; walls of  language barriers; walls of national arrogance; walls between traditions that we want to protect no matter what; walls of our ‘correct’ theological definitions; walls of the right way to sing and have the correct accompaniment to our hymns (trumpets, organ, drums); and walls regarding  sacraments. We could – unfortunately – continue this list of walls for a long time.
I want to experience God as my rescuer who hears me if I shout for change because I am at risk of sinking into the mud of my own and others’ menaces. I shout—even if I feel distant or speechless. God will move me. God will pull me out of my mess and release me to enjoy the change.  God will let me breathe deeply in order to be able again to develop new perspectives. For even just a moment, relaxation may come behind protecting walls, in God’s security. Then I will also find that God will give me strength again to break through this protection into the unknown future or uncertain areas of life, confident of God’s loyalty, which the painter expresses with the deep blue tone of the unknown space behind the walls. God is the light that can be registered along the road in spite of the shadow at the sides and the darkness that also marks the way.
Confidence does not mean inability to take over responsibility or to expect everything without taking responsibility; rather it means the liberty not to expect everything, it means the courage to trust and to get involved at the right moment in something new; it means letting go and trusting in God's presence despite remaining uncertainties.
Is this only possible for someone who has experienced the extreme suffering and rescue of the Psalmist? The artist seems to say “No”. Will the little altar boy be able to let go of the pole in the critical moment? If we turn the picture around we see his glowing, chubby cheeks even better. They witness to a pleasant anticipation. Will we be able to learn from the experience of others in public conversations, or in private, in order to overcome our narrowness, fully trusting God’s presence where ever we find ourselves? I hope we can, each one alone and also in the company of others, but for sure in the company of God, since “By my God I can leap over walls!”