The pen never seems heavier than
when it is first drawn across an empty page. When I begin to write, I am always
driven to capture the deep and portray the profound- to use these lines and
dots to illumine truths in my own mind or in the sight of others. Indeed, it is
mightier than the sword, and more difficult to lift and wield.
Reading the
writing of a friend recently[1], I
was reminded of the beauty of the real. Life, in its vibrance and complexity,
bursts forth in a thousand incidences each moment. I, in my dimwitted search
for the deep, miss the beauty and glory in those “simple” occurrences, seeing
only what I deem to be appropriate of my appreciation. The kiss from my wife,
the joy in labor and study, the peaceful afternoon nap, the clear blue sky and
strong bright sun fade into obscurity as I seek the profound realities—not
realizing that the richest realities lie in these profound things and their
true meanings.
“Turn your
eyes upon Jesus,” the old hymn sings, “look full in His wonderful face. And the
things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and
grace.” As far as the riches of this world and the temptations to evil, this is
absolutely true. But what about the simple moments of the everyday? The love of
my wife, the joy in a child’s laugh, the satisfaction in a work completed, the
rest of a peaceful nap? Tragically, these things fall into routine in search of
greater truth, while they should find greater reality in service of our
gracious God.
We’ve been
duped into believing the total separation between physical and spiritual
realities, whereas it is precisely the infusion of the spiritual reality that
gives the physical, the simple, the everyday its overwhelming beauty! My
marriage is beautiful, not because of perfection, but because in our love there
is an image of Jesus and His bride.[2]
Children are beautiful, because the kingdom of God belongs to the childlike,
who cling to Christ for all their hope and salvation.[3]
Our toil is sweet because we have been promised an inheritance over all the
earth and work to advance the kingdom of the Savior who purchased this
inheritance for us. [4]Our
sleep is peaceful because we believe in the Holy One who has done for us all
our works.[5]
As I write
this, I feel clumsy and inadequate, struggling to capture the beauty of the
everyday, the beauty of things too lofty for me. In Christ, our lives gain a
greater reality. The horrors of injustice, death and destruction cause us to
groan with greater fervency for the restoration of creation’s order[6],
and the joy, hope, and love that we see in the everyday cause us to rejoice
that the restoration has begun in our own hearts and families[7]. This
restoration, this infusion of our lives with purpose, meaning, and the glory of
God through the Gospel of Christ, leads us into greater praise and
thanksgiving. I have recently overlooked the beauty in my life because of the
hunger for “something greater.” Our lives have been given their greatest
significance in the Gospel and Grace of Christ.
I recognize
the incoherence and brevity of these musings, but conclude with this: Let us be
about our Father’s business, and Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.
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