Which came first? The painter... or the paint?

When an artist paints, they choose from a palette of pigment and viscosity. Ochre, azure, crimson, teal. Oil, acrylic, ink, watercolor. The palettes though extensive, will always be limited. Sure, there are many shades and hues; but they are ultimately finite. Limited by mixtures of only 3 primary colors, plus light and dark. Pigment mixed with varying mediums.

When a chef composes a meal, they choose from a palette of flavor and texture. Sweet, savory, spicy, bitter. Crunchy, al dente, chewy, creamy. The palette though extensive, will ultimately be limited. Sure, there are many combinations and layers possible; but they are ultimately finite. Limited by available ingredients, fire, refrigeration, skill.

When a writer tells a tale, they choose from a palette of letters becoming words, words formed into sentences, sentences spun into stories. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions. Declarative, exclamatory, imperative, interrogatory. The palette, though extensive, will always be limited. Sure, there are many variations and genres possible; but ultimately, they are finite. Limited, even with the aid of a dictionary, thesaurus, Google.

You get the idea. No matter the endeavor, we are limited, whether by ingredients, funds, time or talent. Our toolbox is limited by the world around us, and within us. We are hemmed in by our shared resources and experiences. Realities that constrain and also connect. We all have an idea, and even an ideal, of shared concepts and relationships. Mother, father, brother, sister, trees, planting, tasting, eating, joy, sorrow.

But what if…

the artist,

the chef,

the storyteller

had created the palette before

the art, before

the meal, before

the tale?

Let’s stay with the storyteller. THE storyteller actually.

Jesus, a teller of tales, of parables; in order to communicate and connect as a human, with humanity, was forced to work inside of our “box”. He was obligated to draw from the common and shared experiences of mankind. God, in human form, looked around the world through actual eyes to find tangible examples of intangible concepts. A scavenger hunt for similes between time and eternity. Illustrations which might allow us to grasp concepts and realities that we cannot truly understand.

So, we imagine Jesus, like any other human, searching the world around Him to find people, relationships and familiarity to weave into His stories so that we might relate. The seeds and the sower for instance.

“Oh”, Jesus might think, “This example of rocky ground and fertile ground and seeds that grow or do not grow well, is a good way to help these children of mine understand how the words from the God of the universe might bloom or die upon their nourished or fallow hearts.”

Or let’s think about how Jesus describes His relationship to us. Father, children, son, daughter. His followers were his “brothers”. Jesus might think, “Oh, this relationship of father to child is similar to God's relationship to humanity. They are like His children. He is like a father to them. I’ll use this as an example to help them understand.”

But let’s remember Jesus was NOT just “any other human” searching for concepts to which we could relate.

He. Was. God. He. Is. God. Which is why I think we have this literal creative process beautifully backward. We’re expecting a sequel, but forget that Jesus directed and produced the origin story. The origin to all stories.

Unlike the painter with restricted colors, or the chef with a seasonal garden or a writer with a limited word bank, we’re talking about God here. Yes, Jesus was “limited” in his analogies with what we as humans know. But, remember that He is the one who created the things we know. He created His own color palette; His own seeds; His own languages, feelings, tone; His own relationships; His own examples. Yes, He may be limited to our “box”, but let us not forget. He. Created. The. Box.

So, I’m thinking the original conversation (assuming God talks to Himself, or maybe to each of His “selves” since there is a triad) maybe went something more like this:

“What could I create that would help My creation understand My characteristics? How can I help them know Me? Understand Me?

"I know. I will create a being that they will call Father. A strength. A protector. I will create a mother. A nurturer and caregiver. Tender and fierce. I will create a process of planting and sowing and harvesting. Of seed and soil and growth. I will show them that with Me, all things are possible by putting a tree inside an acorn. A child in the womb of a woman. I will create relationships with they can enjoy with one other to show My comradery, My power, My tenderness, My ability to create, My desire to know and be known."

"I will create yeast which will rise inside of flour to give sustenance and fill the ache of hunger. With the same bread I will drop crumbs which leaves hints of Myself like a trail. Points of reference between bread and life, wine and blood, guilt and grace. They will inherently know me because all things will be in Me, and I will be in all things."

"I will even create their own bodies and spirits in My very own likeness. A creature that can see, hear, love and be loved. In what ways can I sculpt them to resemble Me? I will give them music and color and intimacy so that they can know pleasure. I will give them hearts that long to be filled. I will give them palettes from which they can create, as I do. Invent. Discover. I will give them the ability to feel pain to protect them, and so that they can experience healing. Sorrow so that joy can be realized. Free will so that love can be measured as true or false. Thirst, so that it can be quenched with living water. Death even, so that life can prevail. Dragons, so that they might be slain. Whispers of who I am will echo from every corner, every flame, every shadow. Fingerprints and light and hot coffee and mountain tops and valley floors and love will be mirrors of Me.”

Is this why it seems so easy for us to worship the creation instead of the creator? Because the creator has literally injected Himself into His creation? His creation IS Him? A divine inoculation against darkness painted into every atom of creation?

What would an artist do if the artist could create their own medium instead of just wielding tools already available? They would create a universe perhaps? A galaxy with stars and humans and oceans and koala bears. I believe that we see and experience and breathe exactly the outcome of this circular process. We live in spaces created by an artist that created His own tools. An artist whose palette is gravity and the laws of thermodynamics and faith and hope and molecules and cells and light and flesh and blood and sacrifice and love. An artist who created the palette from which everything else would be created.

It makes me wonder as I absorb the world around me, “How is this leaf like God? If He created all things to reflect Himself, then He must be reflected in every part of it. Right? How is God like snow? Like a lion? Like a housecat? Like a chicken pot pie?”

Which came first? The painter or the paint? The sauce or the chef? The story or the teller? The chicken or the egg? I believe the answer is. God. God came first. The artist reflecting the art. Art imitating artist. A holy looking glass.