I'm not an art expert. But today I visited the Vancouver Art Gallery and saw famous paintings by the likes of Rembrandt and Vermeer. It was fascinating to see such amazing creative work in person. There's something about the colors, textures and overall mood of a great painting that can never fully translate into print. Seeing the true colors up close revealed the masterful skill of the artists.
People can be like paintings. Sometimes our true colors (good or ugly) can be hidden--but God has a way of bringing them to light.
In today's passage, I think the words of Simeon, an old man who saw Jesus as a young child, stood out to me. He talked about how Jesus would be rejected by people in Israel when he said:
But the rejection will force honesty,
as God reveals who they really are.
The phrasing is interesting here--"rejection will force honesty"? I think Simeon was saying that the people, ideas and things we reject show our "true colors"--they in a sense reveal who we are. By rejecting Jesus, some people--who previously followed Him--would show that they didn't really believe. Sad. :(
But in this passage, another portion touches on the "true colors" topic in a more positive light. John the Baptist taught:
It's your life that must change,
not your skin...
What counts is your life.
Is it green and blossoming?
I think that here, John is teaching the mark of those who love God is not necessarily an external thing. People who follow Christ represent different races and ethnic backgrounds, for example. John taught that our true colors are shown through changed lives--are we growing, maturing and getting healthy and strong in our faith?
If I'm like a painting, I don't want to be a printed copy--flat and dull in my faith. I want to be an original masterpiece with all its texture and true colors shining--even under the revealing honest light of God's perspective.
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