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"We Shall See. (Now I know in part, then I shall know fully)."

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8.05.2006

One time a kid asked me what the glory of God was. I didn’t know what to say.  There were many words that came to my mind like "splendor" or "majesty".  But what does that mean to a little kid?  These ideas are so abstract and intangible.  I tried to explain it to him but I think that he just smiled and nodded and we moved on with the conversation.  The question, though, stays with me even now.  What is God’s glory?  In my mind, I see it’s meaning more as a picture.  Like when I am driving down the road and I see the sun behind a cloud, its rays shooting out in all directions, as it makes the tiny droplets of water reflect colors and light.  Sometimes if you look at the edges of the clouds you will see colors like reds and greens ever so subtly placed. It’s the light that makes everything beautiful, it’s the light that allows us to see, it’s the light whose waves bounce to and fro throughout the earth causing reflections and growth and life.  We are all drawn to it like moths on summer nights.  Our eyes naturally crave it, but, as we all know we cannot look at the sun for too long.  We are limited by our humanity.  So we must wait until a cloud passes between us before we can catch a glimpse of the source of this glorious light. 

So this painting is an attempt at explaining God’s glory and our human condition.  On earth we are separated from experiencing the full glory of God.  We cannot always understand the path that God has brought us down and we can’t see where we are going either.  We are limited.  But God is not.  Even now His light shines on us and reflects off of us.  We can see parts of His glory as if through a cloud or a crack in a fence.  We see in part.  But He promises us that if we believe in Him and follow Jesus, we will one day see Him face to face in ALL his glory.  We will see Him as He is and we will be like Him.  Isn’t that amazing?!  We all have a chance to see Him- no clouds or separation, no limitations, no fences.  Just clarity and light and color and beauty.  No more questions.  We shall see!  Amen.

 “Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we [i.e. believers] who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:16-18

"Now we [i.e. believers] see but a poor reflection as in a mirror then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part, then I shall know fully even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." 1 John 3:2-3

(Click here for the Webster definition of glory.)

See this painting in progress here.

                
Click on image to view the sides of this painting.

detail of painting