A while back, Mike Blahnik shared a short scripture with Lakeside during worship. Although I cannot remember exactly what scripture he shared, I do know that he talked about the word of God. Since then, I have been trying to figure out what “the word of God” actually is in the scriptures. A passage in Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

In my freshman year of college I took the first of my many art history classes. In that class I fell in love with the Renaissance amidst the subtle snoring of bleary-eyed students fighting for consciousness because of the lulling projector fan that was flashing images from the past on the dark walls. I use the word love lightly here, because the real love of my life, my husband, Britton, was sitting directly behind me (if I remember correctly he was the one snoring).

Nonetheless, I was amazed at the talent and skill of the artist’s work in that time period. My favorite artist to this day is Michelangelo. No artist can compare to his range of skill or the massive commissions that he undertook. His sculpture, The Pieta, left me completely astounded and emotionally moved as it depicts Mary holding the limp body of Christ. When Michelangelo began this masterpiece, he started with little more than an intimidating boulder of marble, his chisel, and an idea. As an artist myself, the thing that drives me to make something, is the fact that you are the one making it. Your finished creation bespeaks what is in your mind. For Michelangelo, though he is long been in the ground, he still speaks to us through his creations.

I imagine God as the master artist because every other artist is simply recreating God’s creation. Michelangelo tirelessly painted the heavens on the Sistine Chapel to try and display what God has already imagined and flawlessly created. God, in the beginning of time started out with nothing except Himself and His own thoughts and intentions. Then, He spoke the world into being using words. His words, His thoughts, His concepts outlined the physical boundaries of the earth, the laws of nature, and every single detail that makes each creation different from the next. At the sound of His voice, like the stroke of a brush, the first souls were perfectly formed to be the masterpieces that they are.

While these thoughts are threatening to fling themselves out of my ability to comprehend, let alone explain, I want to express this one thing. Our Bible, God’s scripture, is His holy word. He allowed men like Moses, David, and Paul to record His thoughts and His ways on paper or tablets to preserve them for future generations. But His word is not just the scriptures in our Bibles. His word is His thought, His will, His desire. God himself lights our path because He is the one who created the world we live in, and yes, our very souls. Who better to know our path than our sculpture who carved out every facet of our being?

My mind is about to have to reboot when thinking about all of this. Oh, but it is so awesome to be able to attempt to understand our creator, and to think of how much He delights in our trying.