Week 3: From Remnants to Art

Who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Will the thing formed say to Him who formed it “Why did you make me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? Romans 9:20-21

 

For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Background: Romans 9 & Ephesians 2

As a young boy in Sweden, my parents would ship my sister Birgitta, and me off each summer for a week-long visit to my grandparents’ house in the little village of Sparreholm, an hour’s train-ride from Stockholm. “Farmor” and “Farfar” loved seeing their oldest “barnbarn.” And for us, the trips were always the delight of the summer.

Farmor kept her home very orderly and spotless. It was filled with beautiful exquisite furniture built by Farfar, an old-school artisan. Each room had rag rugs on the floor that she had made. Each rug had its own unique design, shape and color scheme.

In the basement stood the loom on which Farmor made her rugs. To a child’s eyes the loom looked massive. Near to the loom were bags of old clothing that she had collected—dresses, shirts, skirts, coats and slips—to use in making her next rag rug masterpiece. We watched Farmor carefully tear the old clothes into remnants of various lengths, organize them by color and texture, lay them in piles of similar remnants and then stuff them in bags marked with a code only Farmor understood.

Since Farmor did all her weaving during the long, cold winter months we never had the change to watch her nimble fingers work the loom and create her rugs. When we returned the next summer, we would often discover a new rug somewhere in the house. The remnants had indeed become art.

Isaiah and Paul, both experts in the Law, referred to God’s people as “remnants.” Lawyers would rarely describe themselves as remnants. Armed with JDs, they prefer focusing on professionalism, perks and power. But there are lessons “remnants” can teach us.

First, a remnant is of no great value by itself. However, woven together by the Master Weaver, the remnants become significant as the Body of Christ. Together the whole is far greater than the sums of the individual parts, with the Master Weaver as the Head. Christian law professionals working together can accomplish things no single remnant could ever do.

Second, we must not forget that we are His workmanship. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” is the heart of the Four Spiritual Laws, but we often overlook His plan and design for our lives. It is easy to become envious or jealous when we see the finished product by the Master Weaver in the lives of others. Their career rugs appear to be so much more attractive than our own. We must take our eyes off of others and refocus on the Master Weaver and His plan for us.

Third, a rug is made to be walked upon. This is especially tough for lawyers to accept. We are supposed to be in control, respected and paid appropriately. To be used and abused by clients, adversaries or The System undermines our perception of reality. But the Master Weaver left little doubt that we will occasionally be treated like rugs and walked upon. When that happens, it is best to be more than just a single remnant that might be tossed away.

I did not spend much time with Farmor. But I will never forget her rag rugs.
Sam Ericsson

– This article comes from AI’s “No Higher Calling,” a devotional for lawyers.