We have been, are still, and always will be being created in God’s image! The universe is ever-expanding, with God at the frontier speaking it into existence, just like he is at the frontier of the eternal me, speaking the new man into existence as the old man continually dies. What a beautiful story of how we are never finished. We are always evolving, hopefully, to become more like Christ.
I’m laying here vibrating with the knowing of the Truth and I feel like I could supernova, it’s so huge!
These kinds of truths can be talked about, but like my conversion, the telling in no way gets to the heart of the matter, because the mind can’t fully comprehend the heart, and the mind creates the words. I can only share this with another traveler of the Way who’s been here, or whose faith allows them to accept mysteries.
Maybe it’s my calling as an artist that gives me the desire to share the knowledge. How could I use art to demonstrate this Truth? How can I live as a visible example of this?
I take things that appear to have reached their pinnacle and work with them to help them become something better. Usually, my creations are turned into something brighter, more colorful, better-constructed, reinforced, more substantial.
They stand out as different from the normal. People see that they are different and want to know the story behind their differentness. My pieces evangelize for themselves.
Inspiration:
Excerpt from The Universal Christ, by Richard Rohr:
At the front of [first century Christians’] consciousness was a belief that God is leading all of history somewhere larger and broader and better for all of humanity. Yet, after Jesus and Paul—except for occasional theologians like Gregory of Nyssa, Athanasius, Maximus the Confessor, and Francis of Assisi—the most widely accepted version of Christianity had little to do with the cosmos or creation, nature or even history. Our beliefs did not generally talk about the future, except in terms of judgment and apocalypse. This is no way to guide history forward, no way to give humanity hope, purpose, direction, or joy.
That is the limited and precarious position Christianity puts itself in when it allows itself to be too tied to any culture-bound Jesus, any expression of faith that does not include the Eternal Christ. Without a universal storyline that offers grace and caring for all of creation, Jesus is kept small, and seemingly inept. God’s care must be toward all creatures, or God ends up not being very caring at all…
Ephesians 2:7-10, New Living Translation:
So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:7-10, The Passion Translation:
Throughout the coming ages/universes we will be the visible display of the infinite riches of his grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ.
For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ! So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving.
We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!
