The Divine Hunter

In the former Benedictine monastery of Benediktbeuern in Germany, there is a painting from the 17th century that shows Jesus as a hunter. It is a rather unusual image of Jesus. We see him as a fairly young man holding a rifle in his hands and shooting at some wild animals. Next to him are three women who allegorically embody faith, hope and love. In the background, four people can be seen in the context of a driven hunt, representing the continents known at the time. There is a fence in the foreground of the picture, making it clear that there is hardly any way out for the animals. The animals themselves – an elephant, a deer, a fox, a lion, a crocodile and a leopard – are beautifully depicted. What could be the meaning of this painting?

The surrounding baroque paintings, also on the ceiling of the monastery hall, tell of Jesus as the one who catches souls. They depict Jesus as fisherman, for example. In fact, Jesus called St. Peter to fish for souls. The hunt for souls, on the other hand, is a rather unusual motif, but one that can be found in the Christian tradition. This image of Jesus perhaps does not correspond to the image we have of him as a peaceful, compassionate and tender person. Nevertheless, it appeals to me because of the energy it implies. You can see the fire as Jesus shoots. He actually came to baptize with Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16). Sure, for many souls he may have to wait patiently, like a fisherman sitting on the shore or in his boat. Here, however, the divine hunter is most active. He is on the hunt for souls. He really wants to hit them. The fact that he is surrounded by the three virtues shows that it is not about destroying animals or metaphorically souls or even killing people. On the contrary – it is about winning them. Some people need to be hunted. Does that appeal to you? St. Paul was one of them: He, who persecuted the Christians, had to be chased by the Lord himself, had to be thrown from his horse to catch him. Jesus wanted Paul as he was, with this potential, even with his aggressiveness, and to channel this energy in the right direction. God knew that it was not easy to catch Paul, because there was a lot of resistance on his part.

Lord, search me when I want to hide. Chase me, pursue me when I try to flee, shoot me – my heart will be wounded, but that will give me new life, indestructible life. It will enable me to be life-giving myself, as you were, dear Jesus. Don’t give up on me until you have found me. And when you have hit me, help me to win other people for you, if it is your will.