Stained Glass

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved stained glass windows. When
sunbeams reach through colored glass and paint the room with rainbows,
something inside me stirs. These mosaics of color awaken my heart to
wonder. I think beauty draws us closer to the heart of God. Something
inside us craves beauty, and if we listen closely enough, we’ll discover a
longing for God deep within us. It seems so fitting to me that some church
buildings use stained glass in the spaces where we gather to worship God.
After all, He is the One who spoke light into being. I didn’t know until
recently that some churches used colored glass windows for a very specific
purpose: to teach the stories of the Bible to people who couldn’t read.
Stained glass has been crafted by different cultures in different parts of
the world since ancient times, and during the Middle Ages, Christians in
Europe started incorporating this artform into their church buildings. At
this point in history, few people could read, and usually only wealthy
people had access to books. But even though most common people couldn’t
read the Bible for themselves, they could learn about the stories of the
Bible through artwork. I love how these medieval Christians served each
other, not just by making simple drawings that would serve as a teaching
tool, but by making something beautiful. They invited everyone to know God,
the author of beauty, and created a special place where all could worship
Him. • Hannah Howe • How can making art be an act of service to the
community? • How can art, even art that doesn’t depict biblical stories,
reveal truth that points to Jesus? Every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above, coming down from the Father of lights… James 1:17 (WEB)

Read Verses:

Gen.1.3|John.1.1-John.1.9|Jas.2.1-Jas.2.9|Jas.1.17