Decorating the stone

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” (Michelangelo)

Michelangelo was a famous Renaissance artist. His best known works are the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the sculpture of David. According to Michelangelo, a good sculptor sees the figure inside the stone and chips away the extraneous parts.

What if our true selves were hidden beneath several superficial layers?  Who or what would carve out the excess? Would the process be painful?

Most of us attempt to mold ourselves and others around us to fit our vision. We lose weight, we sculpt our bodies through exercise, we change our make-up and hair, and make over our images to conform to current cultural trends. We pursue worldly success, accumulate wealth, and seek external validation.  Instead of chipping away at the superfluous, we merely decorate the stone.

“But whoever did want him, who believed He was who He claimed  and would do what He said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. (John 1:9-13 MSG)

Our true self is hidden underneath all the worldly excess. Since we are children of God, our true nature resembles the Divine. God, the master sculptor, chips away the superfluous, until our true selves are revealed.