With the snow and ice going, going, gone, I find myself wanting to make a leap and begin planning summer days. I start picturing occasional weekend afternoons pulling a lawn chair into the shade and opening up a new book. Or evenings of unhurried conversation around the fire bowl with family and friends.
There is the same amount of work that needs to be completed on the job everyday, yet somehow the pace feels different. It feels good. It also opens up the question of where to spend some vacation time if those days are taken in the summer.
There isn’t a specific type of holiday I like best. I enjoy scheduled itineraries and full days, but I also like a laidback approach and being able to decide spontaneously what we might want to do. Consequently, we have packed in amusement parks, aquariums, historic buildings, cathedrals, ball games, museums, tours and lots of walking into some; while others have been dominated by campfires, beach chairs, sun screen, and no worries about getting our steps in. But while I enjoy planning and anticipating particular destinations, some of my favorite experiences have been ones that have taken me by surprise.
During a stop at the St. Louis Art Museum one summer I went in excited mostly to see all the Egyptian art including a collection of sarcophagi, as well as the Renaissance art which was an area I studied in university. But I ended up totally enthralled and spending far more time gazing at the medieval art.
When I walked into the enormous collection I didn’t know where to look first. Massive paintings, sculpture, tapestries and mosaics filled the space and it was amazing to think about the hands that had created them.
The time period saw art heavily influenced by religious themes. Much of it reflects Christianity and you can see the inspiration artists drew in depicting biblical stories, the lives of the saints, and the Passion of Christ; with the art serving as a vehicle for faith expression and contemplation.
I didn’t want to leave the room because I felt I was surrounded by something meaningful and profound. And I was. But while these centuries-old masterpieces were glorious, it was another piece of art we kind of stumbled upon that also stands out in my mind.
We were driving through Iowa and I was paging through some tourist information when I read about a prayer garden in a city we would be passing through. We looked at the time and wondered if we should bother, but at the last moment decided to make the stop. We are so glad we did.
Beautiful gardens, babbling brooks and manicured pathways took visitors into serene and peaceful places where you could reflect and pray. The tranquility invited you to stop…to sit…to be still. It made for an unforgettable afternoon.
There was a museum on the grounds and when we stepped inside we came across a breathtaking piece of art — an impressive life-size wood sculpture of the Last Supper. It is one of only a handful of in-the-round sculptures in the world.
While it is based on the da Vinci painting, sculptor Jerry Traufler spent seven years bringing his own artistic expression to the piece. The 12 apostles and Jesus are each its own sculpture, with each piece weighing between 200-300 pounds. The work also includes individually carved goblets and unleavened bread on a massive table. Due to its size and craftsmanship, you felt compelled to stay silent and reflect. Clearly it has that sort of impact on many because they have supplied a seating area for guests to sit and take a moment as they take in the power of the scene.
If we had insisted on sticking to a schedule and bypassed the stop, we would have missed out on something amazing. Unfortunately, this weekend too many people are going to miss out on something far, far more incredible.
The story of Christ is so much more than inspiration for artists, musicians and sculptors over the centuries. The person of Christ, whose death and resurrection we contemplate this weekend, is the story of a love far greater than we can understand. We can thrill to the music and appreciate the art, but it becomes all the more meaningful as it draws us into deeper reflection of what the Savior of the world did for each of us as he died on the cross for every one of us. Don’t bypass the point. It is not another long weekend. It is the greatest event in all of human history. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! That's my outlook.
