If you’ve ever gone through art history class, you’re probably familiar with a painting called The Light of the World. It was painted by the British artist Holman Hunt, and hangs in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It’s one of the most iconic religious paintings in history. The painting depicts Jesus standing outside of a small, dilapidated cottage.
In one hand, he holds a lantern, and with the other, he’s knocking at the door. But what’s interesting about this painting is that there’s no door handle on the outside of the door. For Jesus to enter the cottage, it has to be open from the inside. Holman’s inspiration for the painting is a verse in Revelations, which says, I stand at the door and knock.
If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal together as friends, as such a simple verse. But when you see it personified in a painting, it totally changes your understanding of what it really means. Jesus won’t force himself in, but he continues to stand outside and patiently waits to be invited in.
What an incredible gift. A friend who waits patiently for us, he knocks, but we don’t answer, and yet he continues to wait patiently to share a meal together as friends. I pray that each day I have the good sense to open that door a little sooner and share my life with a creator who loves me.
You’ve been listening to Everyday Miracles, I hope, mindfulness and prayer.
In the year 1818, a 26-year-old Catholic priest by the name of Joseph Moore was preparing for the Christmas Eve service at his church in the Austrian Alps. And while cleaning up the church in preparation, he found out that his organ had broken. This was not good. I mean, here’s this young guy that is probably new to this church.
I was recently listening to the U2 album, all that you Can’t Leave Behind, and I came across a song called Grace. The lyrics say this, grace takes the blame, covers the shame, removes the stain, but once was hurt, but once was friction. What left a mark? No longer stings because grace makes beauty out of ugly things.
Recently I went to visit a friend of mine and while visiting, he asked me if I wanted to go see his brother play Little League Baseball that afternoon. I said, sure. So we made our way over to the fields. His little brother was a pitcher and supposedly he was pretty good. But it quickly became evident that today was not his day.
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