The Lord’s Kaleidoscope
By Anne Chapman
Oh, the magnificent Kaleidoscope! How many of you remember growing up and looking with excitement into what seemed to be the depths of the universe as the swirling shards of glass danced and frolicked until they finally settled into a beautiful and perfect pattern, unlike any you had ever seen? Again, and again, they would swirl around, seemingly never to land in the same place or create the same beautiful image.
How could this be? The kaleidoscope itself if not very big. How could it possibly create such a variety of beautiful patterns? Let’s look at the parts of this mysterious instrument. Many are a round tubular shape about 6-12 inches long and a few inches in diameter. One end is for looking through and the other end for the objects to be viewed. Inside is a system of typically two to four small mirrors. Light must enter the mirror system for the scope to function. The objects, i.e., shards of colored glass, are placed in what’s called an Object Cell where they are contained. A simple scope may have just 20 objects inside.
While this is a simplistic description of a kaleidoscope, there are many variations of designs and materials. Glass, beads, buttons, feathers, even paper clips. The inside chamber can either be dry or filled with oil. Regardless of the materials or construction, the end result is a wondrous display of just a few varied ingredients working together to provide something beautiful.
Just thinking about this tiny object and what it can do causes me to be overwhelmed at the thought of all the details God has put into the creation of the whole universe. Since it would be impossible to delve into that here, let’s just look at the church itself – Mayhew CBC.
Each and every person is a unique creation, and the church is filled with people who have unique gifts of the Holy Spirit. We are of different ages and life experiences, a wide variety of ethnicity, different spiritual gifts and talents and different personalities. Yet, we all are united to form One Body – The Body of Christ.
Consider all of the different functions being performed at the church. Every one is as necessary as the other. If “every person” only played or sang music, what would we eat? How awful! If “everyone” only sewed, what could we sing to? If “everyone” were only a teacher, who would be the students? And who would keep up the buildings and grounds as everything would disintegrate? Who would take care of the details for the service, or teach the children, or run AWANA? On and on, I could go, but the bottom line is – There Would Be No Church!
If so much can be done with a variety of just a few pieces of material, arranged in only a few ways, just imagine how much can be accomplished because of the way God created mankind – His very own special version of glass, beads, buttons, etc., made in the form of each of us.
Rejoice in what the Lord has done, and be thankful He has given each of us a special place in His creation. We, at Mayhew CBC are, in fact, the Lord’s Kaleidoscope!
