Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Operation Restoration

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In November 2008 one of the great masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance was restored to its original splendor and returned to its home at the world-renowned gallery in Florence. The Madonna del Cardellino was painted by Raphael in 1505 for the wedding of his friend, a wealthy Florence merchant. It portrays Mary, the mother of Christ, and two children playing with a bird. According to art connoisseurs, the toddling boys are John the Baptist and Jesus, while the goldfinch symbolizes Christ's crucifixion because it is a bird that feeds among thorns.

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As with any restoration project, this priceless piece of art has a checkered past. The painting’s problems began in 1547 when an earthquake toppled the merchant’s house where it hung. The painting was recovered from the rubble in 17 pieces. Another artist tried to salvage what he could. He drove long iron nails into the frame, trying to patch the pieces together. Then he painted over the cracks to conceal the breaks in an attempt to make it look whole again.

By and by, time and the elements took their toll. After nearly five centuries, the original artwork faded. Dust and grime obscured the composition. Raphael’s work needed extensive restoration.

A team of fifty technicians and artists were assembled to work on the project. After ten years of tedious and painstaking plodding the restoration was complete. The cracks were erased. Centuries of brown film and grime were erased. The dulling veneers and patches were stripped away. Today, the finished product glows with all of the deep reds, blues, and golds of the original vision. Given how badly it was damaged, some experts have said that the restoration of Raphael's painting is arguably even more amazing than the painting itself.[1]

Aren’t the spiritual parallels profound? Tragically, the beautiful design of God’s creation has been marred by sin. Not only does the earth plead for redemption, but so do we. Paul wrote, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:22-23).  

Perhaps, you've experienced earthquakes that have shattered you—addiction, divorce, depression, sickness, stupid choices. You’ve tried to patch up the brokenness of your soul with quick fixes—self-help, retail therapy, sports, drugs, even religion—but nothing has filled the void. In fact, those jury-rigged repairs only made things worse. Thus, the need for restoration.

Thankfully, the Gospel declares that “Operation Restoration” has already begun. Here is just a handful of verses which promise that Christ can put it all back together again:

·         “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3)

·         “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten . . . ” (Joel 2:25)

·         “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (1 Cor. 5:17)

·         “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5)

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Through Christ the curse is being reversed. The promise of the Gospel is that God will restore it all—from depraved souls to the distant stars. This restoration is both present and future. What God does individually to those who repent and trust in Christ is a preview of what He will do universally. The restoration of His creatures is phase one, while the restoration of creation is phase two. It’s a new life today, but a new heavens and a new earth tomorrow.

Philip Yancey has summed up “Operation Restoration” by writing:
            “To judge God solely by the present world would be a tragic mistake . . . Imagine this scenario: vandals break into a museum displaying works from Picasso’s Blue Period. Motivated by sheer destructiveness, they splash red pain all over the paintings and slash them with knives. It would be the height of unfairness to display these works—a mere sampling of Picasso’s creative genius and spoiled at that—as representative of the artist. The same applies to God’s creation. God has already hung a “Condemned” sign above the earth, and has promised judgment and restoration.”[2]

-DM




[1] Peter Popham, “Return of the Fallen Madonna,” Independent, 28 October 2008
<http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/return-of-the-fallen-madonna-976897.html>
[2] Philip Yancey, Where is God When It Hurts (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1990), 58-59. 

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