"Collective Effort"
I have a definite fear of spiders. It's not a
panic-type fear, but I'd rather not have one sharing my space. I don't
think I'm unique in this; spiders seem to be on the list for most
people's dislikes. There's just something about the way they look ...
Maybe this common uneasiness with arachnids is at
the root of a fascinating exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in
London, England. A story from January 26, 2012 on CNN.com tells about a
stunning golden cape on display there that is made entirely from the
silk of the golden orb weaver spider. (http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/25/world/europe/spider-silk-cape-on-
display/index.html)
To be exact, the cape was made from the silk of 1.2
million female golden orb spiders. The project took seven years to
complete, and had to be carried out on the island of Madagascar, the
spider's natural domain. Nicolas Godley, who had previously manufactured
handbags, converted his factory into a "spidery", where the
creatures were "milked" and their silks woven into fabric. The
only hint at the cost of such an item was Godley's statement that it was
"hugely expensive".
This is not likely to become a fashion trend, due
to the cost of production. Also to be considered is that the fabric
shrinks if washed. You may have to plan a trip to London if you want to
personally view a garment made from the silk of spiders.
You couldn't call the spiders that participated in
this project willing participants, but it was certainly a collective
effort. Without the spiders, no silk would have been available. Without
human workers to collect the silk, no fabric could have been woven.
Working together, a remarkable cape came to be.
God put into motion a long time ago another
collective effort that yields stunning - and practical - results; it's
called the church. "Church", as you may know, is from the
Greek word ecclesia, a word that means "those who have been called
out". In our case, God has issued the call; it is a call that
extends to everyone, regardless of nationality, race or any other
background (see Acts 10:34,35).
But why has God called us? Peter gave the answer to
that question: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim
the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light" (1 Peter 2:9). Those who respond to God's call will proclaim
God's praises as they live according to His plan.
Paul agreed with this idea in Ephesians 3:10:
"To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made
known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly
places." When God's people from multiple backgrounds weave together
the works God has given for them to do, the world is made a better
place. More than a garment on display in a museum, the fruits of
Christian service grace the lives of people all around, whether they
follow God or not.
Jesus challenged us all with these words: "Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and
glorify your father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). "Your" in
the Greek is plural. When each of us, collectively, give our best
efforts for the Lord's sake, beautiful things will happen. More than a
golden cape, God will be exalted as our works adorn Him in the eyes of
the world (Titus 2:10).
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the
Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us
if you'd like to discuss these ideas further.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright, 2012, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture
quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version
(Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
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