Buongiorno Church! Andrew and I are about half way through our Rick Steve’s Village Italy Tour. It has been full of non-stop adventures and deliciousness. Like many European tours, we have had the opportunity to see many Cathedrals, Basilicas, churches and chapels. They have all been full of awe-inspiring art: frescos, mosaics, sculptures, architecture. Although amazing, after about the third visit they all began to look the same and blended together in my mind. Yet, I was struck by what our tour guide said when leading us through the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi; “If churches are not your thing, then think of this as a library of open books. The frescos on the walls are all open books telling the stories.” Remember that at the time thes e great places of worship were built, the majority of the population did not have access to the written word, nor know how to read. The art was not mere decoration, but a form of biblical storytelling and every element contained some type of symbolism or meaning. It is amazing how much emotion, action, and historical significance can be communicated through one still snap shot of art. In addition to the awe and admiration these pieces of art elicited, it also made me wonder… If I were to attempt to portray the biblical stories in non-verbal ways, how would I do so? What moment in the story would I choose to highlight? Which people and what details would be included? What about the setting and landscape? What colors, textures, perspectives, artistic styles w ould be used? What mood and emotions would I try to communicate? Furthermore, if there was limited space and I could only choose a handful of stories to include, which ones would make the cut? I found this reflective exercise to be telling of what aspects of the Gospel are most important to me. Perhaps a similar exercise might prove insightful to you as well. In the days that followed, my reflecting continued as I wondered, “How can we communicate the Gospel to those that are unfamiliar with it in ways beyond our traditional teaching and preaching? How can our lives serve as creations of art and “open books” that point to the glory of our God and Savior? Thinking of you all and hoping all is well! Ciao!