Naked Offices

We are slowly getting things packed up. All of my books have been packed, as well as all of my hats and crosses. The framed pictures will come down later today. The plan, I think at this point, is to move everything from the office to the house and store it in the garage so the moving company only has to make one, relatively easy stop.

A parishioner was in the office yesterday morning and popped in to see the progress. He looked around at all the empty spaces with boxes piled up, and said, “It looks naked.”

I replied, “Wait until all the pictures come down.”

Houses, offices, rooms of various kinds are all empty – all naked – until we decorate them. Our houses, bedrooms, offices, and other spaces we occupy, all get decorated in some manner that reflects our personalities, our likes, our passions. All of these things help make our houses homes. All of these things give people some idea of who you are and what's important to you.

In a number of places in the gospels, Jesus uses the image of a house in place of a person. In short, we are the house in which Christ dwells. Each of us provide a dwelling space for Jesus.

As we go about our daily lives, can people see the importance of Christ in our lives by how we've decorated ourselves – by how we live, speak, and behave? Or, when people interact with us, do they see empty, naked walls?

Our decorations are visible statements of our selves. Is Christ a visible statement in your life?

Blessings,

Todd+