It’s a long story, but I’ve hosted European friends here in North America, and enjoyed staying in their homes. Two of them decided that the next time I visited Spain, we should tour Bologna, Ravenna, and Venice by plane and train. That was a fabulous trip.
To me, the most outstanding highlight was the eight Ravenna 5th and 6th century A.D. Christian monuments including churches, baptisteries, and a mausoleum that are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are especially renowned for stunning and well-preserved mosaics. YouTube offers coverage. My photos don’t do them justice, but the Byzantine mosaics’ intricate artistry delivers a spiritual lesson.
The most famous are inside the Basilica of San Vitale shown below.
The mosaics are literally thousands of small pieces of glass, stone, or ceramic combined in different images and patterns, including some with gold leaf, silver, and precious stones, to make one elaborate picture. The many pieces became one, just asJesus prayed that his followers might “all be one.”
Similarly, the Lord combines our many varied individual traits into His masterful multi-dimensional design with all the members fitly framed together.
Romans 12:4-5 says, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
Romans 12:4-5 says, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
The Lord builds His family from different tribes, nations, tongues, and backgrounds. We are multiple shapes, colors, and sizes. But our Savior is a master craftsman who has had perfect designs in mind since the very beginning of time as He constructs our personal families, church bodies, international organizations, and more..
We may be mortared in right next to contrasting colors, materials, or textures, but we can trust Him to complete His inspired design.
Viewing Byzantine mosaic that have survived fifteen hundred years inspires me to believe that He is arranging believers together to prepare His bride for the wonderful final event that completes church history.
The Lord builds His family from many different tribes, nations, tongues, and backgrounds. We are multiple shapes, colors, and sizes. But our Savior is a master craftsman who has had perfect designs in mind since the very beginning of time as He constructs our personal families, church bodies, international organizations, and more..
We may be mortared in next to vividly contrasting colors, materials, or textures, but we can trust Him to complete His inspired design.
Viewing Byzantine mosaic that have survived fifteen hundred years inspires me to believe that He is arranging believers together now to prepare His bride for the wonderful final event that completes all of church history.
Christians Read 