Stained Glass Contemplation

Two or three times a year I find myself at retreat centers or churches with beautiful stained glass windows in their chapels. I love to roam around in a darkened chapel as the late morning sun brings the colors of the glass and the story depicted in it into sharp focus. Reminders of the life of Jesus are beautifully illuminated as each rich color reflects important details the artist intends us to see. It’s then I realize I can only see this when the sun is shining through the glass rather than on the glass from the inside.

Stained glass windows were once used to teach people, who were unable to read, the stories of the Bible and biblical truths. Most of us are literate these days except for the small children among us. In my mind’s eye, I can see a parent quietly and reverently holding a child in his arms while sharing the story of Jesus as seen through the colored glass. What a treasure as these carefully inlaid glass pieces serve as a constant reminder of God’s gift of his Son to a people in need of redemption.

I have been fortunate in my life to be impacted by Christians who clearly show the light of Christ shining through them. They exude the vitality of a life transformed and brought to life by the Spirit of God. Those are the people who consistently point me to Jesus.

The Bible talks a lot about light.

  • You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. – Psalm 18:27-29 (NLT)
  • Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them! The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. – Psalm 119:129-130 (NLT)
  • You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. – Matthew 5:14-15 (NLT)
  • Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” – John 8:11-12 (NLT)

The people I walk with on my Christian journey remind me of those stained-glass images. We desire to be illuminated by God’s light shining through us. God uses the color of our life experiences, good and bad, to bring God’s amazing gift of redemption into sharp focus.