Types of Masterpieces
Since we are all made in the image and likeness of God the ultimate Creator, I believe we all feel compelled to create. For different people, that means different things. It could certainly be art, the category that masterpieces are historically associated with. But in this era, it could also be broadened out to other creations, be it skillfully writing a computer program or web application, designing a car or building, or even creating and raising a child, which is a piece of your the parents’ flesh and bone.
Good and Evil Masterpieces
Masterpieces can be created for good or evil. They are creations that are an extension of the human creator, exhibiting their skill or workmanship. So some creations could be skillfully crafted to cause damage to others. Masterpieces tend to be works that receive critical praise, and, sometimes, cultures that have gone morally wayward can give “critical praise.” So, the qualification of “masterpiece” can vary from one to the other.
For me, it’s creating a piece that is pleasing to my master, God, that matters above all else. That’s the ultimate qualifier for a masterpiece, and it could very well be something that appears totally mundane in the world’s eyes. Often, and sadly, what pleases God and what pleases the world are two very different things.
Kingdom Compass Wallpaper
As I make these wallpaper, I would by no means call them artful masterpieces, but that doesn’t mean I should let fear and an obsession for perfection paralyze me from ever sharing these creations in the first place. So, each week, I do my best to work with the Holy Spirit within me, get out of my comfort zone, and employ different techniques or effects as I create these to sharpen my craft.
God Exults the Humble
“A famous violinist once stood before an audience, obviously expecting bursts of adoration for his genius. But what happened surpassed everybody’s deepest expectations. In the tension of his performance, the violinist suddenly felt something break under the bow. He felt the instrument wasn’t responding. He suddenly realized that one of the four strings had probably broken and this meant that someone must have cut it halfway through. Then came another shock. Another string broke. Someone had cut that one too. Someone wanted his downfall. But he kept playing as if nothing had happened and finished the brilliant performance. No one had even noticed the problem.When the violinist lifted up the violin showing the two hanging strings, the audience was astonished. There was an eruption of rapturous applause one thought would never end. To play an instrument with such perfection outshone everybody’s wildest dreams. Even more, the audience broke all conventions by rushing towards the violinist, unable to believe that such inspiring music could come from a broken instrument. So the maestro’s glory was even greater, the weaker the instrument he used.
The law of contrast is that the poorer the human instrument, the greater God’s glory. He can create masterpieces from poor human instruments. Isn’t it strange that God so much desires that I could serve like this? Not only by surpassing imagination, he wants to surpass every analogy too. He wants nothing less than astonishing communication of the glorious love he so much wants to share.”
—Fr. Tadeusz Dajczer, The Mystery of Faith: Meditations on the Eucharist, Arthur Polit, Tr.
