for God's Sake

Lately I've been reading a lot. I'm learning that all of the subjects still fall under the category of "things that exist for the glory of God." I'm not saying I understand everything I'm reading or even that the first catechism question solves all the tension I feel about difficult subjects. Nevertheless, I'm seeing freshly- that people, gender, art, church, music, sex, and taking out the trash all exist for God's sake. As the Apostle Paul says by the Spirit, "in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17).

How incredible is it to discover again and again that Jesus puts the world together. He makes sense of mysteries. He sheds light on darkness. And he opens up new mysteries to explore- new enticements that enlarge our soul instead of shrinking it.

Recently, I read a passage in Refractions by Makoto Fujimura describing his perception of painting. Essentially, he cannot paint apart from Christ. He, Jesus, is the lens through which he sees his own creativity and its fruit. He says, "For me, Christ is painting itself; it is the one and only pictorial form." In running my eyes over that line again and again, it becomes plain that every action of righteousness and holiness can be placed in that sentence (Eph.4:24). Everything done as a new creature in Christ is itself a living expression of Christ on earth. Then, the parallel statement rings truer: "For me to live is Christ (Phil.1:21)." And as Piper interjects Paul, even "to die (more of Christ) is gain (v.21)." Indeed, "something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen."