by Marilyn Ehle
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Over 300 years ago during the English Civil War, the beautiful stained glass window which dominated one end of the majestic Winchester Cathedral was smashed into fragments. What once had been a Rembrandt-like scene lay on the stone floor in shards. Local lovers of art as well as worshipers of God mourned its loss even as they painstakingly picked up glass pieces from the rubble. Twenty years later a reconstruction of the window was attempted, but the difficulty of recreating the original design was just too great. Would future generations be deprived of the beauty and the story of prophets and saints originally depicted?
Years later craftsmen re-fashioned the kaleidoscope of pieces into what stands today as an example of mosaic or collage art. What was once a shameful example of riot and destruction has become an instrument through which light falls on the cathedral floor—and indeed on those who walk through the sun’s rays. Worshipers cannot see the original story but they almost mysteriously know that there is a grand story.
God’s original “picture” was one of breathtaking beauty. He created it perfectly and all who read of it stand in awe. By looking at this magnificent creation, people would be able to see the Creator and turn to Him in love. But then, through actions far more devastating than the events in England’s war, all of earth and humanity was ruined, smashed into shards unrecognizable from the original. This was destruction beyond human repair efforts.
But then, with love and skill beyond those of any artist, God made everything new. The world now stands in awe of re-created people through whom the light and love of God shines: If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2011/09/07/me_light-through-broken-glass/
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Short Thoughts for Cell Phones – God-daily.com
