I serve an amazing God. Anything and everything we "create" in this world is only an imitation of what is first seen in the world around us which God has made. His handiworks are displayed in the heavens and proclaim his glory.
It is no wonder we are able to succeed at anything we accomplish. Not only are we able to because God gives us the grace, but we mirror his works; the glory of the perfect, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-understanding God of the universe. If we have to imitate anyone, isn't it amazing that it is the hand of the Master. Not that God needs my approbation, but I acknowledge and want to proclaim how masterful his works are.
The sunrise, the sunset, the trees and the streams. Men and women have been trying to capture its perfection in art throughout the ages. Many of them have been and are God haters and yet it is their goal to imitate nature...after their Creator. They try to remove God, the intelligent Creator, and want to say everything has happened by random chance. 
That is why it takes precision instruments on precision paper or canvas with well studied minds imitating precision art in nature (thanking Ken Ham for his instruction). Art was God's realm first and will always remain his. May we use it for his glory.
One of my favorite modes of art is candid photography. To capture something or someone as it was or they were at a particular moment in time is true. It wasn't someone holding still in a position for hours. It is a clip of informal history. It is stripped bare of pretension; it is exposing the honest nature of something or someone. I guess I speak from experience as I am always trying to hide a flaw here or there. Sometimes it is uncomfortable reality, but that is beautiful in its own way. Beautiful because the reality of a moment or time is the way God would have it and has made it and everything is beautiful in its own time in God's ways.
I love the texture and layering of these photographs. I love the reflections, the shadows, the lines of symmetry and stature. I love the ripples on the water and being able to feel the cold rainy day on the bridge. I love the age, maturity and history in a stone road and the sheer power and strength in architecture. Architecture is substantial and weighty. Not just in the materials chosen, but in the purpose for what was or is built and how it will be used to serve or tear down in the history of the world. This is amazing and my God has done it.
Psalm 24:1-3,9-10
Thank you for the wonderful art pics!!!! I LOVE them ALL!!!!! And your beautiful description of how we imitate our Amazing Creator yet lack in every way to capture His handiwork. Candids are my favs. too!!! Just so pure and natural the way it's meant to be. May the rocks not have to cry out for our lack of praising God!!! Which Ken Ham vids have you been watching?
ReplyDeleteHi Jen,
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting and amazing post of yours. I love the post/pictures and your comments. Since being in tilesetting for many years, I have always thought of it(tilesetting) as doing something that is practical and functional as well as aesthetically pleasing to the eye(sometimes artistic). Like yourself, my start in tilesetting has given me a great appreciation for God giving us and generations gone past the ability to craft buildings of great purpose which also possess great beauty and artistry. As a guy, I also like and appreciate the combination of great form/function as well beauty in such things in automobiles or a finely made rifle.
Or chef's creating food/dishes to be eaten but all being very critical to be artistic and visually appealing. Being in the industry I am now, I seeing a great tidal shift in buildings being made to be exceedingly functional but also very, very energy efficient from a HVAC/R, Electricity, Water conservation, and Indoor Air Quality point of view and the beauty/artistic aspect has to incorporate these new design parameters or even takes a back seat to it. Take care sister, Love Murray.