The Breath of the Holy Spirit
Our Beauty and Disfigurement
Breath of Life
From the very beginning, we witness the work of the Holy Spirit, breathing life into Adam.1 Adam was formed out of the dust and God breathed life into him, which made him a “living creature”.2
Our Disfigurement
Even though we were made in the image of God, we have become disfigured because of sin.3 The Holy Spirit is at work throughout the Old Testament to slowly reveal the Messiah, who would one day restore humanity to its original divine likeness.4
Sin and Forgiveness
The next 40 days will bring an acute awareness of our sin and disfigurement and it may be uncomfortable to look at. The reality though, is that sin is ugly. It does disfigure us from our original created image. Our choices can and do have damaging consequences.
This, of course, doesn’t take away from Jesus’ saving grace—it is only through Christ that we can be restored to the likeness that was breathed into Adam—but it means that we accept responsibility for our choices.
Preparing Our Hearts
Today, we can reflect on what it means to be made in the likeness of God and how sin disfigures us. We can be confident that God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness will overflow to each of us when we humbly repent.5 He is restoring the beauty of his creation.
A Note About the Art
Not every piece is going to relate in some symbolic way, but when it does, I like to share the thought process behind making it. These flowers are baby’s breath (there are some beautiful pink varieties I didn’t even know about!) and so I felt they were a fitting flower as we reflect on the Holy Spirit being the breath of life. I tried to depict the flow of the flowers as if coming down from heaven like a breath, slowly reaching out and encompassing us with tender arms.