God's works of art

Today's liturgical readings continue Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. On Saturday Paul prayed that "the eyes of our earts be enlightened." That is a beautiful image and is worthy of meditation on its own. But today is Monday not Saturday, so we'll move along.

Today Paul tells us something that is so simple yet so profound. It is one of those statements that is packed full. And, as it happens, it is the scripture passage that opens the section in our groovy constitutions of Formation:

We are God's work of art
created in Christ Jesus
to lead the good life
which God has meant us to live
from the beginning.
-Ephesians 2:10

What a lense with which to view the formation process! What a lense with which to view life! We are God's works of art!

Now, one might hope we're not a work of Modern Art, although sometimes our lives might seem more like a Jackson Pollack painting than a calm and serene naturescape. But then again, Pollack seemed to capture the beauty of creation. There is even some analysis that the apparently random patterns in his paintings in fact are fractals ... the fingerprint of nature.

So whether our lives seem hectic, chaotic and random or calm, carefully planned and beautiful, it's important I think to realize that we are here for a reason. Do we see the beauty in ourselves, our loved ones, our crazy coworkers, our crazy lives?