God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Not artificial light, but beautiful, natural light. Even on a cloudy, dreary day, God’s light shines through and makes pieces of glass look like incredible works of art. Creating them takes the God-given ability of an artist to tell pictures through stories, but without God’s light, they are still just windows. Look at any cathedral from the outside, and you’ll see what I mean. Just windows. Then look at the same cathedrals from the inside looking out, and these windows become masterpieces of art…story…beauty…worship. Perhaps it is a metaphor for life: It is God’s light that reveals the beauty inside us.
Touring these beautiful cathedrals revealed other kinds of art too. For example, who wouldn’t feel small and insignificant when being preached to from a pulpit this large and ornate? And sometimes we need a reminder that God’s angels were not just sweet girly-girls flying around with fluffy wings. They were…and are…soldiers in an army fighting for God’s beloved people. But what moved me most are the constant reminders of the sacrifice our Lord made for me and you. Why did he make these sacrifices? Because he didn’t want to live in Heaven without us. Having recently lost a friend and coworker to cancer, I am grateful or the sacrifice because as amazing as this world is, I wouldn’t want to live believing that’s all there is.
Today wasn’t JUST about religious art. It was also about the unexpected beauty around us. We set out to go for a walk and see what we could see. We came home after walking seven miles (our daily average), feeling satisfied that we had found beauty around every corner, blessed that we could personally experience more of our vast world, and awed that we’ve barely scratched the surface.
Northern Colorado Travel 