Masterpiece

Masterpiece

We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

FRANKLY, I THOUGHT the Botticelli paintings would be smaller. After all, I’d once spent a day touring the Louvre in Paris and—while it was amazing overall—I was underwhelmed by the Mona Lisa. In books, it felt larger-than-life, but in reality it seemed dwarfed by the echoing hall and gaggle of onlookers.

Now in Florence, I walked into the Botticelli room at the Uffizi Gallery and felt completely overwhelmed. Sliding onto a bench in the center of the room, I sat in silent astonishment at the scale of the paintings. The Birth of Venus was more than 5½ feet tall and 9 feet wide, while Primavera (“Spring”) was more than 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Each took up a large part of the wall.

For about an hour, I took in the expressions on the characters’ faces, the curves of windswept gowns, and the exquisite details of flowers and figures. I stared for so long that my friend, sitting next to me, fell asleep. I just couldn’t seem to comprehend the obvious deliberation in each painted stroke. I was awed at the mastery displayed.

Originally, the word masterpiece was used in the European guild system to refer to a piece of work created by an apprentice, someone who aspired to become a master craftsman and submitted the masterpiece in order to qualify for membership. Their livelihood depended on the piece’s quality, and they took great care in producing their work.

That afternoon in an Italian art museum gave me a new appreciation for how God views us as masterpieces. Other translations of Ephesians 2:10 use words like handiwork (NIV) and workmanship (ESV), but all give the same impression of God as a master craftsman, carefully creating us as imago Dei, the image of God in the world. Too often we see the flaws in our humanity and overlook the miracle of our beating heart, unconscious breath, and ability to reason. But a masterpiece is exceptional: a visible representation of the invisible hand of God in the world. We are works of art, created with intention, meant to have a purpose in the world.

Lord, help us to see ourselves and one another the way you do. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: Consciously choose to see a friend or family member as a masterpiece. Name three qualities that make them exceptional.