Heaven's Open

"He also, in the end of times . . . became a man among men,
visible and tangible,
in order to abolish death and bring to light life,
and bring about the communion of God and man".

From a creed of Irenaeus of Lyons

I've had a quote at the start of one of my Photographic art portfolios for some time now:
"The motivation behind creation..is to give of ourselves. Creation is the highest act of giving".
The statement is from a book by William Dembski, and like Irenaeus' words of nearly twenty centuries ago, it makes us look at the 'bigger picture'.

I find that particularly so when I'm creative 'mode' - that's when Dembski's words ring so true.
If I am not seeking to truly connect to my subject in a manner that isn't really giving creatively, then I find I don't get very much back. Creating and probably just enjoying art means that a deep inter-action is under way - one which usually engages us, heart and soul.

And that brings us back to Christ and the 'big picture' of creation as a whole. The Lord made all things good for a very crucial reason - to express Himself...to give Himself to the world and life which He had made. Corruption often bleeds into every corner of our current existence and stains the glory of that reality, but creativity can often cause us to snatch a glint, or a brief sniff of this great and underlying truth so clearly declared in the Gospel, as expressed in the above creed.

The day approaches when of all of life will be replete in such artistry.

What it's really all about...

Now, we see dimly, like a reflection in a mirror,
but the day comes when there will be total clarity,
Now, we know only in part,
but then we shall know fully,
for love never ends -
all that is partial fades,
but perfection will come,
for the greatest is love.

Paul - 1 Corinthians 13.

How do you make sense of this crazy, messed up world?
What is it that makes life worth living, when you see the sheer ugliness we not only encounter,
but can generate from our own hearts?
When you see a tragedy like the shootings in Cumbria last week, how do people find the strength to get out of bed in the mornings?

The brilliant 20th century physicist, Richard Feynman, who had some pretty genius ideas in his life, said something major in a letter to a friend:
"Tell your son to stop trying to fill your head with science — for to fill your heart with love is enough".

When you see the pain of our world touched by love, then even pain becomes worthwhile.

The message of Christianity is essentially about that - God has come to heal a broken world, not through rules and regulations, but through totally unmerited love.
Here's a new song by Amy Grant which touches on the value of such love in our darkest moments...