Bringing the Impossible Together The Akron Art Museum has an exhibit of M.C. Escher's work through May 29th. I urge you to visit and enjoy 130 works on loan from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens, Greece. Escher deals with mind-bending explorations of perspective. Trace the water course in the lithograph "Waterfall" at the right and you will see that water flows up! Of course, such a structure could not exist in the "real" world. The water falls up only by the genius of M.C. Escher in presenting 3-D perspective in a 2-D print. However, part of the exhibit is a actual 3-D model of the lithograph print "Waterfall". It is a distorted mess with unattached columns flying unsupported into space. It seems to have been caught in mid-explosion.

Waterfall by M.C.Escher

Yet, when viewed through a carefully mounted pinhole, the jumbled parts resolve into a perfect copy of the print! The columns attach, the arches meet, and the watercourse connects...up. The model was constructed so that from that one viewpoint only, its appearance matches the scene in the Escher's print.

Escher's work reminds us how important perspective is in how we view reality. Looking at reality without depth or standing still at a certain spot with only one narrow point of view, we can be convinced that water falls up!

I hope you move up and down, back and forth, and even to the right or left when you look at the world and don't let your perspective (or even M.C. Escher) fool you.

I also hope you move around enough so that every now and then, when you hold yourself just right, you can see the world as God sees it. All connected and correct where even what we believe to the the laws of human nature bend to God's vision.

Where God Looks

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

May Still Be Good for Others This is a photo of my wife and daughter leaving on a cross country trip. They are fine, but the car was wrecked and totalled less than 90 days after this picture was taken. My daughter, Rachel, was driving with her friends when she lost control of the car and it flipped over. No was was seriously hurt as they hung suspended upside-down. Rachel had made everyone put on their safety belts before starting, a iron rule in our family as she was growing up. She was buckled in almost daily for over 20 years before it made a difference.

(c) by Christy Ramsey some rights reserved

Recently, I learned that as the car was flipping over, Rachel's frightened friend looked to her figuring she would know what to do. Rachel had wrapped her arm around her face in case the windshield shattered. Her friend imitated her. The windshield held, but the passenger side window exploded all over her friend. But since her friend had her face covered, just her elbow was bloodied. Her arm had protected her face and eyes.

Rachel buckled her safety belt and made others do so for decades before it made a dfference. But she also protected her face and eyes for just seconds. This didn't make a difference for her, but might have saved the eyesight of her friend who looked to her for the right way to act.

When I think I might be okay for me to take a risk or that I could survive temptation...I think of the frightened friend that looked to Rachel and how what she saw in Rachel kept her from losing her sight.

A Good Imitation

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. - 3 John 1:11

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Pushing the Right Button I like reading control panels. Options appeal to me in general and I like to see how they are laid out and explained. I came across this elevator that is different than all the others I've checked. The Door Open button lacks its evil twin, Door Close. I like to think about the optimistic designer who wanted folks to be able to open doors for others; but didn't think there was a need for the antisocial close door option. I also chuckle imagining the person looking to stab the close door button when hurrying footsteps are heard only to find that openess is the only option. I think of this elevator when I am tempted to close doors because I'm rushed or "filled up" and remind myself that opening doors for others should be what we all push for.

(c) by Christy Ramsey some rights reserved

Jesus Wants In

But Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. - Revelation 3:20

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Ties That Bind My in-laws received a quilt in honor of their 60th Wedding Anniversary. (In the photo, my mother-in-law, Katheryn Speegle holds the quilt framing Karen Hadsel, the quilter.) My adult daughter has a quilt of all her camp, church, school, and sports t-shirts. Those memories and relationships warm her inside and out. My wife has a framed quilt hanging in our living room. Both of her grandmothers worked on it. (It's a Catherdal Window quilt) Their creation colors our lives every day.

(c) by Christy Ramsey some rights reserved

In the fall, a quilt covers our bed made by some church members and signed by church members, family, and visitors. Some are gone now, but their personal touch weaves a warm layer of protection over us as we sleep.

Quilting is the intentional tying together of many separate pieces into a warmth giving whole. Sounds like a good description of a family, tribe, church or community.

Hope a quilt of love covers you and you are a piece of quilts that cover others.

Knitted Together

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Faster Than Light The church I serve observes Epiphany tomorrow. An Epiphany is a sudden revealing of some deep mystery. In a cartoon, it is a light bulb above the head. In science, it is Archimedes in his bathtub shouting Eureka when he solved a riddle. In Christianity, it is linked with the revelation of Jesus as the Christ at his baptism, the adoration of the baby Jesus by the magi, and even Saul's sudden recognition of Christ in the blinding light on the road to Damascus that turned him into the Christian apostle, Paul. What invites an Epiphany? Today, some use the term "lateral thinking" to describe the process of seeking and having Epiphanies by indirect and unconventional means. Daydreaming, letting the mind wander, even boredom can lead to Epiphanies.

(c) by Mike Lietz some rights reserved

What is the chance of off-line Epiphanies if we are always on-line? With phones delivering entertainment and constant connection with others, video screens in every public space, our homes flooded with entertainment barely damned by our DVRs, even billboards changing every few seconds, who has time to reflect, to be bored...who takes time out for Epiphanies?

My father-in-law always pointed out that "stoplights" are "traffic signals" that are "green as much as they are red". Balance We don't need to go all the time avoiding the stops of the day and life. For when we stop, we might notice new light.

Hope you take time often to have an Bright Epiphany.

Surprised by Joy

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. - Matthew 2:10-11

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.