Stained Glass

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved stained glass windows. When

sunbeams reach through colored glass and paint the room with rainbows,

something inside me stirs. These mosaics of color awaken my heart to

wonder. I think beauty draws us closer to the heart of God. Something

inside us craves beauty, and if we listen closely enough, we’ll discover a

longing for God deep within us. It seems so fitting to me that some church

buildings use stained glass in the spaces where we gather to worship God.

After all, He is the One who spoke light into being. I didn’t know until

recently that some churches used colored glass windows for a very specific

purpose: to teach the stories of the Bible to people who couldn’t read.

Stained glass has been crafted by different cultures in different parts of

the world since ancient times, and during the Middle Ages, Christians in

Europe started incorporating this artform into their church buildings. At

this point in history, few people could read, and usually only wealthy

people had access to books. But even though most common people couldn’t

read the Bible for themselves, they could learn about the stories of the

Bible through artwork. I love how these medieval Christians served each

other, not just by making simple drawings that would serve as a teaching

tool, but by making something beautiful. They invited everyone to know God,

the author of beauty, and created a special place where all could worship

Him. Hannah Howe How can making art be an act of service to the

community? How can art, even art that doesn’t depict biblical stories,

reveal truth that points to Jesus? Every good gift and every perfect gift

is from above, coming down from the Father of lights James 1:17 (WEB)

Read Verses:

Genesis 1:3; John 1:1-John 1:9; James 2:1-James 2:9; James 1:17