"For the seekers of the Way, the buildings, rituals, documents, and theologies of the
Christian tradition serve as a rich museum that inspires our efforts to practice the way of Jesus.
They remind us that we are apart of an unfolding story and an ongoing conversation about
what it means to live as "children of the light" (John 12:36) in our time and place.
But we don't live in museums. The place where we create our "art" isn't in the clean
and well-ordered world of books, historic institutions or even public gatherings, but in the grit
and messiness of daily life and in our relationships with one another."
Mark Scandrette, Practicing the Way of Jesus, 40-41
The museum's of this life are where our ideas are shared. They are the places in the public square where our ideas get walked around and tried on for size. But they are not where our ideas are "cooked up" are they? We love how Mark Scandrette contrasts the museums of our world with the laboratories of life. One is for presentation and the other is for preparation.
Mark filled out that idea by contrasting how the most amazing paintings are housed in these marble buildings with guards and hours of operation while many of them are created in out of the way studios that most people would not feel safe visiting.
So many times we value the ideas that get displayed in the beautiful "museums" of this world. But we do not tend to value where those ideas came from. The wrestling, polishing, defining and arraigning is not so appealing as the presentation.
But just as Mark is making the point about the "art" that is the life with Jesus, the "art" that is the crafting of an idea is valuable because of the process it goes through. The "grit and messiness of daily life" that Mark describes.
We all want to show our work and be affirmed by the "museums" of this world, but until we walk around with our idea in this world and allow it to rub shoulders with the people who will be impacted by it, then we are not yet ready.
Last week we talked about having the patience to wait to share an idea. Well, one of the reasons for that patience is that our ideas must be ready. We have to know that they represent what God is doing in our lives and the Truth of what God cares about in this world. Unless you can affirm that, your best bet is to keep walking around with what is on your heart!
Comments