The Grand Design

I am auditing a course at Wake Forest University on design. Those taking the course represent a wide range of arts/business/non-profits.

I asked my own art coach Sally, who has studied and taught design for years, to define “design.” She was stumped for a bit. “It covers such a broad range of activities,” she said, “it’s hard to put in one sentence.”

“Sally,” I asked, “when you design one of your own paintings, what do you hope will be the result?”

She had an immediate answer to that one.

“I want people to say, ‘Wow! Look at that!’”

Isn’t that what the Great Designer had in mind when he made the world, and you and me? That we could look at his glory revealed in creation and the new creation in delight and awe and say, “Wow! Look at what God made”?

Of course his original design was pretty badly marred. So he had to remake it.

As Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is a human fully redeemed.”

Wouldn’t it be great if people could look at us, beyond all our flaws, and say, “Wow! Look what God is making.”

I’m glad the Great Designer is still at work!

Leighton Ford