1. Love that binds…
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14
There is a small chapel on the Isle de la Cité in Paris just around the corner from Notre Dame. It served in years past as the royal chapel next to the palace. If you visit the chapel on a sunny day and head up the little staircase in the corner, you will discover the amazing stained glass windows of Saint Chapelle.
These 13th century windows are the most beautiful I have seen especially when the sun is pouring through them lighting up their magnificent colours and detail. Google them! Take a close look in between the panes of expertly cut and crafted glass – what do you see? Lead. Yes, the windows are held together with ordinary, common, grey lead. Without the lead, there would be no window.
Now close your eyes and imagine a stained-glass window with a different pane for each of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, empathy, and forgiveness. Rich in colour and detail each pane tells a story reflecting these wonderful gifts from God. Now look a bit closer at what holds these panes together in their design – love.
Love is what binds together the attributes that we are called to as children of God. Like the lead that holds together a stained-glass window love is not readily seen. It sits behind all that we say and do each day of our lives. It is crucial for us to be who we are meant to be and it reflects, in and through us, God, who is love.
When the light of God shines through us it treats the world to a wonderful spectacle. It shows the world compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, empathy, and forgiveness, and so much more. All bound together by love.
Prayer: Lord, I want to shine your radiance into a world of need. I want to be the beautiful creation you intended me to be. I want others to see you when they look at me. But I know that, like any stained-glass window, when the glue that holds each piece together fails then the window breaks. Help me to pay attention to love. To loving you and loving others so that I remain strong and beautiful all the days of my life.
Amen
Action: Today, let God shine through the panes of the beautiful stained-glass window that he has made you to be.
Journal your thoughts…
