Salvogesis

    On May 17 th  of this year, I walked the short walk from a parking lot to the memorial atop a small ridge, overlooking a small town in France. There were sheep everywhere. I did not see a shepherd. One little lamb had escaped a fence and become separated from the flock; she desperately ran back and forth along the ridge looking, searching, hoping for someway to break through the fence before it is too late; hoping to join her flock, looking for someway to be reunited; looking for safety she bleated, she cried as she looked out terrified over the ridge. This ridge on which she was lost and bleating has a name. It is Vimmy Ridge. As I stood atop Vimmy Ridge by the memorial to our Canadian soldiers, the symbolism of this bleating lamb running back and forth, looking for someway through the fence was not lost on me. April 9 th  to April 12 th , 1917, a brutal battle was fought as our Canadian soldiers desperately looked for a way to break through the fences and trenc...

  This passage was very much in my mind when we were in Paris and any other part of France where we walked into an historic cathedral. The big, ancient Roman Catholic churches walls are filled with naves, alcoves, altars. Many rooms open exposed to the main sanctuary. You can see in many of these worship spaces amazing works of art; grand works of art, worshipful works of art painted right on the walls of these chapels; some of which are painted by some famous artists, their contemporaries or their equals. Some of these painted walls in these chapels are in great condition and some of them are worn away. It is something as you can see them worn away. At the top the painted walls, they still look mostly untouched even after a century or centuries of use as an aid in worship – but near the bottom, in the places where one can reach, you can see where thousands of people over hundreds of years have beseeched our Lord with their tears pouring down their faces. Facing the wall, one ...

We saw a Salvador Dali museum in Paris. I have always liked his work – though one may need a book or a tour guide to understand it fully: the melting clocks and other items that typify surrealism.      We were also able to go the Giverny and see Monet’s gardens. I have seen Monet’s paintings before and I admit that I have never been that much of a fan. I once, in university, for a class had to review some of his work. I ran through everything I knew about the techniques he used and everything else. My professor was really impressed and was starting to comment on my analysis before I had spoken the concluding words of my presentation which were, “and I don’t like that”.     But then I saw up front and in person the objects Monet was painting and I understood. French Impressionism made sense to me in an instant. That which I never used to even understand, let alone appreciate, when I saw the reality it was representing with my own eyes, when I was a...

One oil painting we saw at the Louvre was an oil painting of the 1793 painting by Jacques-Louis David of his colleague, the murdered French revolutionary leader, Jean-Paul Marat, entitled ‘Death of Marat’.     Oil paintings are amazing. You can see them today, centuries later, and they look as vibrant as if they were painted just yesterday.     What struck me about the death of Marat however was not the art as much as the subject matter. Now, I am not a fan of Marat. It really is not a surprise that he was murdered, in my opinion: he was really quite a nasty fellow. He was a propagandist for the French revolutionaries; much like Milton was for England’s Cromwell, only nastier, I think.     Marat is often held responsible for the September Massacre s in which between 1,176 and 1,614 defenceless people were taken prisoner and then murdered. And then after earning these murderous credentials, Marat went on to sit on the Committee of General Se...

When we were in Paris and the rest of France, we were able to see the Louvre, other museums, art galleries, and many famous works of Art. We saw the Mona Lisa and other great oil paintings. One thing that struck me as I looked upon the original works of art of which I have seen reproductions dozens or even hundreds of times before in my life, is that the reproductions are never as good as the original. They can be like the cloud of witnesses in our text but they are not anywhere near the value and power of the original! A picture of a painting is not the painting itself: not nearly as vibrant and alive!      This reminds me of our faith and a temptation for some Christians who maybe even grew up in the churches. I have met some people – even in seminary - who hadn’t ever read through their entire Bible even once! There are people who identify as Christians who look to or through others instead of to God directly for their faith. They rely on preachers, teach...

We saw many great things along the Seine and in Paris (as well as in the rest of France). As we conclude our talk today about “Gospel Seine-ry”, I want to circle back bring our attention again to Matthew 5.    Along the Seine and everywhere in Paris and everywhere we saw in France actually there was outdoor seating. There were cafes lining the streets. When we were there it wasn’t actually the nicest weather in the world. It was quite a bit colder than it was here. Every time you went to a café or a streetside restaurant, they sat you outside. It was neat on nice days especially so many people side by side, as restaurant bordered coffee shop, bordered restaurant, bordered coffee shop. The atmosphere was great as everyone in the morning enjoyed their croissants and espresso and their meals in the evenings. The noise and the joy drew you in. People were not hidden away inside (unless they insisted, I assume) unless the outside was full.        ...

This verse was on the wall of the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore in Paris, just around the corner from Notre Dam on the Seine. The Shakespeare and Company Bookstore is an amazing place many famous authors have visited there, stayed there, written there; many famous poems and works of literary art could have been composed there. Even today, as well as buying great books and other works of literature, we are invited to stay and write. The verse on the wall of the bookstore, relates to their historic hospitality that the Lord has used to bless us through the writings of the authors and poets who have stayed there. I have stories of entertaining or being entertained by angels myself which I will certainly share another time. This passage is important. We should remember that anywhere and anytime, any stranger might just be a messenger of God, and even if they aren’t we should treat them as if they are for God created us all in His own image and He can use us all as His own agents to do ...