# Seeking God, Finding God: God's Work of Art
*2009-02-21*

> Bill Young reflects on the Fourth Sunday of Lent reading from Ephesians 2:10, using the image of a damaged statue restored by an artist to illustrate how God repairs our brokenness and calls us to good works.

## Scripture and Translation

We hear today from Ephesians 2:10: “For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” The newer translation used in the liturgy says, “We are God’s handiwork.” I prefer the Jerusalem Bible, which reads, “We are God’s work of art.” That phrase still takes my breath away.

## The Artist and the Broken Statue

In 1972 a mentally disabled man damaged a statue of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica, shattering one of its hands with a hammer. Artists from around the world gathered to restore the work. For the first month the broken hand was simply covered while the artists studied the beauty of the whole statue before attempting any repair. This story reminds us that our lives, too, are often damaged by sin, and we need God’s mercy to restore them.

## Seeing Ourselves as God’s Work of Art

If we truly are God’s work of art, we can learn from the artist’s patience. Before fixing the broken part, he contemplated the entire masterpiece. Likewise, we should first reflect on the beauty of what God has already done in us, recognizing ourselves as beloved creations, before focusing on our broken areas.

## Practical Application for Lent

Each day this week, look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself, “I am God’s work of art, created for good works.” Stay alert for opportunities God places before you to serve others. Let those opportunities become the good works God prepared for you.

## Prayer

Lord, thank you for the beauty you have placed within me. Help me to see myself as your work of art and to live out the good works you have prepared for me. Amen.

*Recognizing ourselves as God’s masterpiece invites us to trust His restorative love and to pursue the good works He has already prepared for us.*