Restoring Sight

Sometimes-- ok, a lot of the time-- I lose sight of essential things. I become like Saul on the road to Damascus, certain I am on a mission for good...when in actuality, I'm on the right road with the wrong mindset. Saul had to hear the voice of the Lord and be laid up, without sight, for three days before his mental and physical vision cleared. For me it was the voice of Roman historian Nancy de Concilis and being hobbled for three days before my vision cleared.

In the Church of Alessio on the Aventine hill here in Rome there is this Byzantine Madonna brought from Damascus to Rome at the end of the 10th century. I don't particularly like the gold, flat featured Byzantine art, just like Saul did not like the Christians...but it all comes down to understanding. This representation of Mary, Mother of Jesus is an icon -- meaning it represents or is symbolic of something else. Early Christians were very leary of making graven images (why the paintings were not 3D), so they created these icons to remind them of Christ. In this painting Mary is wearing blue, the symbol for earthly life and behind her is gold the symbol of heaven. Her hand is making the square, a gesture that means she supports her son and his mission. Nancy De Concilis explained to me that everything in Rome is a symbol of our mortality and a reminder that we are here to support Mary's son --our Savior. We just have to be in the right mindset to see the reminders. (This is a piece of wrapped barbed wire but you can see Christ)

In my frenzied dashes here to there I get blinded to the purpose of mortality. I fail to see clearly that every activity that we do is supposed to be supporting the Son. That it's not about checking things off a to-do list: family home evening (check), 72 hr kit (check), food storage (check) race to Boy Scouts, primary activities or kids' concerts (check, check, check) It's about seeing and remembering God in every activity ---while being on the road to somewhere ---not about completing the activity or goal. When Saul's eyes were open and he changed his name to Paul to remind him of his change of mindset and heart, he wrote a letter to the Romans (Romans12:2) "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind ." I know this, yet constantly have to be reminded.

So here are a few (of the innumberable) things in Rome I saw this last week which reminded me and renewed my mind of how everything supports The Son of God:

The white columns in Santo Alessio church represent the road of our mortal lives and the arches are immortality, the heavens, the direction we are heading.

The really pretty sounding bells in the church towers that ring three times a day, remind that God is calling his fold, and we need to answer the call in prayer.

This intertwining candlestick represents the dual nature of Christ mortal and immortal but also represents how our lives should be bound and wound up in Christ and how strong that makes us.

And these windows that bring light in a dark church represent how Christ illuminates the windows of our hearts and minds with truth, comfort and love and shows us the goodness in each of us and each other.

So while I waited for the skin to renew on my feet this past week, the exhortations of Paul to the Romans of the renewing of the mind were poignant for me... Now the real challenge: remaining on the right road with the right mindset.