These are pictures taken from the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. In a moment of history these beautiful mosaics were covered up with plaster not to preserve the mosaics but to preserve the lives of those men who were told to tear them down and prepare the then church for a place of Muslim prayer.
What happened that day seemed best fitted for those men who had been told they would be killed if the task was not done. They did accomplish the task but the glory of what the church once was used for was only just covered up. Here are just two pictures of what lay beneath century year old plaster. They aren't even able to fully uncover /restore the mosaics due to fear that they would be forever lost. These images were places in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus and Jesus Christ.
These mosaics were formed from the precious things of life. Gold, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other precious gems.
As I started the day today I was reading in Revelation and reflecting on the letters to the 7 churches and how even in their day they too thought what I was thinking this morning.
" Well, today is Saturday- guess I have to do the chores and get to work".
I was challenged to think about what contribution would I make to the things of eternal value. What difference could my actions today make to future generations?
It makes my actions and my words have some significant meaning and purpose. What a relief that I can actually make my day count for something more than the mundane or insignificant.
I don't think I'll affect history like those men did back in the day when the Hagia Sophia was taken over by Muslims but maybe just maybe in my life time I'll have had some significant effect on China and maybe just maybe one day in the far future someone will have been changed by the things I did today, for all of eternity.
here's to living life with the purpose of Eternity in our sights.......
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