All of Creation Bears His Mark

“God has left his mark on humanity just as surely as He has left it on all of creation.”

 

God has left His mark on all of creation, including man. It really cannot be otherwise. We see this reflected in our own nature. We can often identify the author of a work by the way he composes his words, or the artist behind a painting by the way he draws. The creator always leaves his impression on his creation.

In the same way God leaves His impression on us, just as He has on the entire world. It has become fashionable to consider the human race as alien to this world, that we do not belong to it and are not part of nature.

I have heard it said that because man was created last of all things, that shows just how important he is to God. God created the whole world, they may say, and then, almost as an afterthought He created man.

But that isn't really the best way to consider man's place in God's creation.

Suppose you were going to build a house for the person you love. You have the perfect location in mind and you know exactly the type of house you will build. Would you take the person, sit them in the middle of a field and then build the house around them? Of course not. You would carefully build the house first, making sure that everything was perfect before bringing your beloved home.

God created the world for man. To truly get an idea of how important we are to God, consider that He created the entire world for our benefit. God has left his mark on humanity just as surely as He has left it on all of creation.

And because of that, we are intimately connected to the world around us for we all bear the impression of the Creator.

Even so, we are not the center of human history or the center of the universe - Jesus Christ is.

All of creation was made through Christ the Word. He is the archetype of all being and we are made in His image. "In him were created all things in heaven and earth," St Paul tells us in the Second Reading. "All things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

This is called Christ-centeredness. It's the opposite of self-centeredness, and it's true.
One of the earliest developments in all of Christian art shows a three-quarter length portrait of Christ. His right hand is raised in a blessing, and in his left hand he holds an ornately decorated volume of the Four Gospels. It is a reminder of this truth we often forget. The simple truth that Jesus Christ is the everlasting center of the universe and of history.

As Christians, we have the privilege of knowing that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of human history, and the Lord and Savior of each one of our lives.

Pax Vobiscum

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Seven Men of Good Repute © Lawrence Klimecki

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© Lawrence Klimecki

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Deacon Lawrence draws on ancient Christian tradition to create new contemporary art that seeks to connect the physical and the spiritual.. For more information on original art, prints and commissions, Please visit www.DeaconLawrence.org 

Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith