God created us as embodied beings – reflecting his glory as males and females. And sin has marred this image, but has not completely wiped it out. Our bodies are like glorious ruins – no longer in the splendor of perfection as in Eden, but still holding glimpses of this former glory.
The human body has been the subject of art for generations. We’re captivated by what we see, as on some level we know we’re witnessing more than mere flesh and blood. Our bodies speak and make known the invisible qualities of God. And the curiosity, awe, and wonder we experience in seeing the human form is guiding our hearts and souls to transcendent realities, and to God himself.
But there’s much in this fallen world not as it should be, and our bodies have not been spared either. Even young kids get cancer. And we’re all vulnerable to countless ailments and diseases that break the body down. Our environment and demands on the body, not to mention our own poor choices, can all leave our body looking very unappealing.
On the one hand, those with good looks and who model God’s beauty still must contend with the fragility of their human form. At the same time, those keenly aware of their humble form still contain traces of our original glory.
There’s wisdom in holding both of these realities – celebrating the splendor of God we still reflect, while being kind and gracious to those parts of us that provide a concrete reminder we live in a fallen world with fallen bodies. We’re glorious ruins.
But unlike manmade ruins, we look forward to the restoration of all good things. It won’t always be like this. And one day we will trade our broken bodies for bodies raised in glory and strength.
Today we live in bodies like glorious ruins – broken and marred by sin, but retaining glimpses of a former glory. And we eagerly wait for that time when these dying bodies will be transformed into bodies that will never die.
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
