On Faith

In all of her wisdom, Detgen shared something with me this weekend that really stuck with me. We visited a large church in the center of town - St. Peters. It was actually very nice looking, not too gaudy, not too dark...just right. But as we were looking at the golden statues up on the alter, Detgen pointed something out to me:
So much of the world's money is spent on trying to create beautiful things for God. These attempts are sometimes pathetic and at other times useful for society. But when God looks down on these artworks and structures, it is most likely comparable to when a 3 year old child brings home a drawing to his parents. The child is very proud of the drawing and thinks that everyone should be jealous. In reality, the picture is just not artistically significant, but the parents love it just the same. So our grand cathedrals and other works of art dedicated to God are nothing compared to the real beauty that God knows, but he loves our attempts just the same.
I'm not sure if I articulated this well, but I really am glad that Detgen shared this thought with me. The next time that I see art dedicated to God, this thought will be on my mind. It is not a negative thought...it reminds me of both God's parental love for me and God's patience with my immaturity and monetary obsession. But when it comes down to it, I can see God's love everywhere...if I remember to look.