Art Restoration

I now gaze at Michelangelo's The Creation Of Adam on my computer. I follow with my eyes the slope Adam reclines on and study closely God's flowing beard. I stretch my finger touching that space between Adam's and God's fingers--eternally reaching out to each other to close that gap which is the largest chasm in all of human history.

This painting is not in any museum but is among many other pictorial scenes adorning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome completed in 1481. Two hundred years later, the ceiling would suffer from water leaks. Simone Lagi arduously wiped the ceiling with linen cloths and rubbed it with bread. This was what has come to be known as art restoration or conservation. Now there are more modern and technologically-advanced techniques in art restoration, but it doesn't make the task any less arduous.

We don't see this--and maybe we never will--but we are works of art. We are masterpieces of the Creator, the Great Artist. "We are God's worksmanship," Paul wrote. We are His poetry, His obra maestra, His pièce de résistance in all of Creation. We would need His eyes to see us as we truly are.

My niece posted on Facebook, to my chagrin, a picture of me at six years old, bright-eyed and self-content. I was in a bright yellow shirt sipping a Coke. I looked at that child as if he wasn't me. If I could find that child I would apologize to him. I'd say "I'm sorry this is who you came out to 23 years later. I'm sorry I made you go through bad decisions. I wished I'd have done better." What I really wanted to say is I wish I never allowed sin into my life.

Sin has damaged me. Sin has damaged my relationships. Sin is the death of me. Ten years ago I wouldn't have cared less--a teenager rebelling against my dad, partying till the AM, and allowing others to treat me any way they wanted. "I'm worthless," I told myself, and believed it, too. If I were any piece of art, I'd be the picture of Dorian Gray. Restoring me would need more than the occasional swab of linen cloth and spongy bread.

Restoring me required that the Son of God, my Creator, would suffer and die for my sins. It would require that He shed His blood completely. It would require stripes on His back, thorns on His head, and nails on His hand and feet. And as He went through these 2000 years ago He looked forward to Rico restored, to Rico rejoicing in His presence. In three days He broke through the grave that couldn't hold Him.

When Ondoy hit us my father-in-law came to live with us as the self-appointed nanny to my daughter. There was good in this because he stopped drinking and regained a vigor he lost when he retired. Which meant of course I had to make certain adjustments: not all my decisions as man-of-the-house were carried out if my father-in-law was against it. The stench of cigarette smoke hung around the house like a specter. And we would have his favorite crab day after day after day. I'm vegetarian. I thought these were small sacrifices in exchange for seeing my cynic-to-the-Gospel father-in-law attending Sunday celebration.

But I reached a boiling point. In about a year we were at each other's throats, like steamed crabs with giant claws. With a harsh exchange of words he moved out, along with my petulant sister-in-law who was staying with us, too at that time. My wife was devastated, but I felt I only did the right thing. I was not without any self-justification or self-pity for doing what I did. My father-in-law and I have never spoken to each other since.

These were my choices. I wanted to stick by them. But they weren't necessarily godly choices. God's will is for me to forgive my father-in-law, to reach out to him in humility, and to pursue love above all. I can seek to restore this broken relationship ony after and in much prayer for strength and wisdom, in meeting with him, and humbly listening to his heart. Naturally I am reluctant.

Have you noticed that Adam's hand and gaze in Michelangelo's painting are slack? His arm and forefinger are relaxed. Contrast that with God's outstretched arm and finger and eager gaze, as if He is doing all in His power to come in contact with the man He created and loves. In God there is strong intent and action to fill that gap between Him and man. In Jesus, that gap was closed forever.

Excuse me. I'll need to stop writing now. I'll pray to the God of restoration and healing. Then I'll give my father-in-law a call. I'll reach out to him and close the gap. This is what Jesus did for me with His blood.