T.S. Eliot once said that "good writers borrow, great writers steal."
Now, I may not yet be a great writer, but I do think that I understand his statement.
Let's say that you gathered together a dozen painters, and you placed them all on the same hilltop one evening. You supplied them all with the same paints, brushes, and canvas; and you told them to paint the sunset as they all faced to the West. What do you think would be the result? Would you get twelve exact copies of the same sunset; or would you have a dozen different interpretations, all unique works of art?
In the same way, words paint pictures in my mind. As I read or listen to another's words, I am often inspired, The images begin to take shape in my mind, and I paint with words until the screen tells a story. This particular story was inspired by Taylor as she spoke, teaching on a Thursday morning for chapel. Her title was "Shadows and Substance". Now, in all fairness, I did tell her that I was going to steal some of her material from that morning. And in typical Taylor fashion, she returned my statement with a big smile and said, "go for it". Taylor inspired me that morning, I don't write to correct or improve on anything that she had taught; I only write to share my interpretation of what I learned with her wise words.
I saw two types of believers in the church today, and contrary to what is popular in most comparisons, I am not setting out to criticize either one. The greatest call, the greatest desire of any believer should be the passion to point others towards Jesus. We are all meant to reveal the presence and power of a living and loving God. Yet there are still many debates in modern Christianity as to the most effective and biblical ways to do so. And then the thought came to me, we are all either Sundials or Solar Panels.
Sundials have been around for centuries. They can be simple and they can be beautiful, some are small and practical, while others can be quite large, ornate works of art. The technology of a sundial is simple; placed correctly, the point of the dial will cast a shadow using the light of the sun to indicate the time. The drawback to the sundial is just as simple, with out the sun there is no shadow. The sundial is not broken, it is still positioned correctly, but it can only do it's job when the sun is shining down. It's true of a lot of Christians as well. They are sincere and they are genuine, and as long as God is shining down they can be quite effective. They accurately cast a shadow of God's presence and point the way for many others. But when the clouds gather, or the night comes they sit dormant; waiting for the sun to return. They are still sundials, timeless and true, but without a sunny day they can do little but wait.
Solar Panels use the same source for power, but are a different technology altogether. They collect and store the energy given off by the sun, and convert it into power that can be used at any time. Solar Panels don't look much like sundials either. They are not ornate, most are practically designed. Their main function is to store energy, but they are only useful when that power is tapped into and channeled into something else. Even on a cloudy day or after the sun has set, a solar panel's usefulness is not diminished. But a solar panel in and of itself does anyone little good. The power of the panel must be connected to something that can utilize that power for it to be useful to anyone. There is a parallel in Christianity as well.
It is not enough to just sit and soak in God's presence. Studying scripture, devotion to prayer, and time in deep worship will all create power in the believers life; but it is only in serving that you tap into that power and make it useful. There are too many "supercharged" Christians; full of untapped power they sit on the shelf, and are as useful as a sundial on a stormy day. It is easy for one to criticize the other, to point out the flaws and shortcomings of each others design. But both are powered by the same source, both receive their usefulness from the Son. God will use the faithful sundials to reveal His presence, just as He will charge the panels to reveal His power in the darkness. But God's power cannot be contained for long, and it must be distributed through service to others. The greatest threat to either is allowing this world to overshadow your life and block out the sun entirely.
However you view yourself believer, you are only useful as you spend time in the Son. Use His light and power to reveal His presence to this world, and you will enjoy a meaningful and useful life; not only in this life, but throughout eternity as well.
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Now, I may not yet be a great writer, but I do think that I understand his statement.
Let's say that you gathered together a dozen painters, and you placed them all on the same hilltop one evening. You supplied them all with the same paints, brushes, and canvas; and you told them to paint the sunset as they all faced to the West. What do you think would be the result? Would you get twelve exact copies of the same sunset; or would you have a dozen different interpretations, all unique works of art?
In the same way, words paint pictures in my mind. As I read or listen to another's words, I am often inspired, The images begin to take shape in my mind, and I paint with words until the screen tells a story. This particular story was inspired by Taylor as she spoke, teaching on a Thursday morning for chapel. Her title was "Shadows and Substance". Now, in all fairness, I did tell her that I was going to steal some of her material from that morning. And in typical Taylor fashion, she returned my statement with a big smile and said, "go for it". Taylor inspired me that morning, I don't write to correct or improve on anything that she had taught; I only write to share my interpretation of what I learned with her wise words.
I saw two types of believers in the church today, and contrary to what is popular in most comparisons, I am not setting out to criticize either one. The greatest call, the greatest desire of any believer should be the passion to point others towards Jesus. We are all meant to reveal the presence and power of a living and loving God. Yet there are still many debates in modern Christianity as to the most effective and biblical ways to do so. And then the thought came to me, we are all either Sundials or Solar Panels.
Sundials have been around for centuries. They can be simple and they can be beautiful, some are small and practical, while others can be quite large, ornate works of art. The technology of a sundial is simple; placed correctly, the point of the dial will cast a shadow using the light of the sun to indicate the time. The drawback to the sundial is just as simple, with out the sun there is no shadow. The sundial is not broken, it is still positioned correctly, but it can only do it's job when the sun is shining down. It's true of a lot of Christians as well. They are sincere and they are genuine, and as long as God is shining down they can be quite effective. They accurately cast a shadow of God's presence and point the way for many others. But when the clouds gather, or the night comes they sit dormant; waiting for the sun to return. They are still sundials, timeless and true, but without a sunny day they can do little but wait.
Solar Panels use the same source for power, but are a different technology altogether. They collect and store the energy given off by the sun, and convert it into power that can be used at any time. Solar Panels don't look much like sundials either. They are not ornate, most are practically designed. Their main function is to store energy, but they are only useful when that power is tapped into and channeled into something else. Even on a cloudy day or after the sun has set, a solar panel's usefulness is not diminished. But a solar panel in and of itself does anyone little good. The power of the panel must be connected to something that can utilize that power for it to be useful to anyone. There is a parallel in Christianity as well.
It is not enough to just sit and soak in God's presence. Studying scripture, devotion to prayer, and time in deep worship will all create power in the believers life; but it is only in serving that you tap into that power and make it useful. There are too many "supercharged" Christians; full of untapped power they sit on the shelf, and are as useful as a sundial on a stormy day. It is easy for one to criticize the other, to point out the flaws and shortcomings of each others design. But both are powered by the same source, both receive their usefulness from the Son. God will use the faithful sundials to reveal His presence, just as He will charge the panels to reveal His power in the darkness. But God's power cannot be contained for long, and it must be distributed through service to others. The greatest threat to either is allowing this world to overshadow your life and block out the sun entirely.
However you view yourself believer, you are only useful as you spend time in the Son. Use His light and power to reveal His presence to this world, and you will enjoy a meaningful and useful life; not only in this life, but throughout eternity as well.
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Be First to Post Comment !
Post a Comment