glorious ruins

“To be like Jesus means that we must enter the complexity of both dignity and depravity. We are made in the image of God – glorious. We have taken on Adam and Eve’s hiding and blaming – ruin. We are glorious ruins, bent glory. And it shows up in every moment of our existence until we one day see Jesus as he is and become pure as he is pure.”

Dan Allender

The photo above is of the ancient aqueduct at Caesarea, which is the city in Israel where Herod built his summer palace. The ruins in this city are spectacular. You have hints of what they once where even in their deteriorated state.

Glorious ruins. Bent glory. I love the picture that paints. It directly speaks to the dignity that is part of me by virtue of the fact that I am made in God’s image; that the Holy Spirit resides within me. And, it speaks to the depravity that is woven into my DNA as I share in the ripple effect of the Fall. Like the ruins at Caesarea, it reveals both the pure beauty that befits an image bearer of God, and the ravages of living outside of the Garden. Everyday, I am moving back and forth between these two states.

What complicates the whole thing? You are also living in this beautiful mess. All of our interactions will be a blend of both. I pray that , as I continue to grow in grace, more and more of my dignity will come through in my relationships.

You and I are a glorious ruins….we possess bent glory. I invite you to try and be more aware of that reality and to live into it more fully this week.

Grace and peace,
Deb