Art Part 1

Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to spend some time in New York City. I was traveling for work, and he was available to join me. In between meetings and meals with clients, we were able to carve out a little bit of time to see the city. Since it was Ariel’s first time in NYC, we visited as many of the tourist attractions as time allowed: Times Square, Grand Central Station, the New York Library, the Brooklyn Bridge and more. Most of these stops were short. We simply took in the city and enjoyed the architecture as we moved to our next destination.

As I was looking online for things to do, I learned that tucked away on the 5th floor of the Museum of Modern Art is a famous painting I’ve admired, as have many, for most of my life. Van Gough’s Starry Night is there on display. In high school, I did a project about the artist and this particular painting. I’ve dabbled in art over the years and have made my attempts to recreate it. Even my current phone case is a collection of flowers from Van Gough’s paintings. You can imagine how excited I was! We had to see this painting in person.

Upon arrival, Ariel and I worked our way through the museum appreciating the other art to the best of our ability knowing there was a famous show-stopper just a few floors above us. When we finally made it to gallary 501, you knew exactly where it was in the room. There was a crowd of people gathered taking pictures of and with the painting. The cluster of people expressed quite the scale of emotions from joy over the piece to frustration as they waited for others to move out of the way. Ariel and I waited patiently.

After a few moments, we got our chance to see the painting up close and take a few pictures. We politely shuffled through the crowd out of the way when I turned around and noticed a tall, young man in a thin, grey sweater standing just off to the left of the painting. People were filing in and out around him, but he was still and seemingly alone with the painting. Watching the way he admired it, I wanted to do the same.

So, I motioned to Ariel, and we went around to the right side of the painting. In between us and the young man, the people continued the rotation of making their way towards the front of the huddle and silently moving on after their turn. As I stood still, my eyes slowly scoured the details of this beautiful piece of history, and they began filling with tears as I absorbed the details: the build up of paint where tens and possibly hundreds of strokes left the just the right color and texture, the strategic use of light and how it carries your eye through the story of the painting, the perspective of the towering cypress tree in the front compared to the houses and landscape, the intentionality of the swirling sky. I could go on and on. 

Despite having seen the painting many, many times, nothing could compare to this moment.

Everything I had seen up to this moment was a replica. The fakes were flat. The colors were oversimplified causing them to run together. The beauty and complexity were so surprisingly diminished by taking this unbelievably gorgeous 3D piece of art and making it 2D.

Softly, in that moment, the Spirit whispered to me… This world, even the Church, does the same with Jesus. He is oversimplified and His beauty misconstrue as attempts are made to replicate Him. At that point, I had to step away from the painting because I knew this thought would wreck me if I allowed myself to ponder it in the museum, and I didn’t want to embarrass Ariel by crying.

Oh! The depths of the riches of the fullness of His glory. 

As I type this, I’m overwhelmed by His beauty. I have seen the Lord, and nothing in this world compares. Friend, if you’ve made it this far in the MAKE ROOM journey, I believe you also desire to see what no human eye can fathom. Let me tell you, the way to begin peeking through the veil of this earthly realm into the heavenly throne room is only possible through Jesus. Please don’t settle for a 2D version of Him. Please don’t allow your only experience with Him to be a replica of someone else’s view of Him. Please don’t take the intimate, holy fellowship He desires with you and make it a checklist. None of these things will ever satisfy you. 

Go straight to the source and drink. There is endless living water. Everything I’ve written prior to this post is intended to encourage, equip and challenge you to do just that, to stare at Him and experience His love. I encourage you to go back and read prior blogs if this one made something click for you. There is no magic formula to experience the presence of God or to see His astounding beauty, but I have shared with you how I approach Him and spending time with Him. 

There is no greater meaning or purpose to life than to know God and enjoy Him forever which in turn compels us to point others to do the same. MAKE ROOM for Him. He is the treasure. He is the prize.