BY DANICA BLESS
Living in the Tenderloin has taught me a lot about seeking out God’s beauty amidst the chaos of daily life. The Tenderloin has always been an eclectic neighborhood filled with diversity and creativity. When walking through it’s easy to take the Tenderloin at face value; trash littering the gutters, abandoned items, but really there’s so much more. I fully believe that the Lord has blessed this community with insanely impressive creativity and that is seen in so many aspects of the neighborhood. God is a creative God and He has called us to partner with Him in creating -- I get to see that daily as I walk through my neighborhood!
While walking through the Tenderloin, you easily notice beautiful murals painted on the side of buildings. And although they are everywhere, there’s a specific mural that comes to mind as I write this. This particular piece is found on the corner of Jones and Golden Gate and is called “Windows into the Tenderloin” by Mona Caron. I think this mural is such a key example of the way God sees this neighborhood. He sees the past and the present but still has such a beautiful plan for the community. I pray that more and more people can see the Tenderloin this way.
The premise of the mural is to show the past, present, and future of the Tenderloin. The first window was painted as the past of the Tenderloin, the second window was painted as the neighborhood looked at the beginning of the painting process (present) and the third window is painted as a dream utopia, one that the community dreams to have. I love this mural so much because it speaks to the history, identity, and hope of the community. People from the neighborhood were even painted into this mural and if you stand around the painting long enough someone might even come up to you and point out where they are -- it’s happened to me once! The idea of this piece is so beautiful as it is instilling hope in a place that often looks hopeless. It makes me think of Jesus, and the way He brings hope and restoration to those who are overlooked. I believe that art can help restore that hope too.
There are so many things that make the Tenderloin neighborhood beautiful, and I think the murals are one of my favorites. They communicate stories, recognize the dignity, and display the heart of the community. The next time you find yourself walking around the city or in the Tenderloin, I encourage you to look up and enjoy the stories you may find there.