One of my favorite places to visit in New York City is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Located on the edge of Central Park on 5th Avenue, and across from 82nd Street, the MET is one of the world’s premier museums. The MET is over 600,000 square feet in size and contains over 2 million works of art. Famous artwork such as: Claude Monet’s Bridge Over A Pond Of Lilies, Van Gogh’s Self Portrait With Straw Hat, Degas’ The Dance Class, Leutze’s Washington Crossing The Delaware, Degas’ statue, Little Dancer Of Fourteen Years, Carpeaux’s statue, Ugolino And His Sons (a depiction from Dante’s Inferno), and the Egyptian Temple of Dendur just to name a few. I could spend hours there perusing history with artifacts that date to over 5000 years old.
If you have never been there — you should plan a trip! The MET is, in my opinion, the best FREE option in the entire USA! (If you go, check out the medieval section — pretty cool suits of armor and wicked weapons). Also, check out Dan Rossi’s chili dog stand parked right in front of the steps of the MET. Dan has had his hotdog stand at the MET for almost 25 years and sleeps in his van every night so that he can hold onto his premier location. Best chili dog you will ever eat! (Sometimes I crave one of those things — like right now!)
Over the years I have taken around a dozen and a half youth ministry trips to NYC and I always made time to take my students to the MET. While I will admit a few handfuls of students weren’t too thrilled by the experience, the vast majority really enjoyed the excursion. I loved walking with them and talking about history as we marveled at massive marble sculptures, pondered over artifacts from every continent, and admired great works of art (Lauri turned me on to Impressionism in college and I have been hooked ever since). I actually fully expect Heaven to contain museums, and I try to imagine the things that will be displayed (How about that Ark Of The Covenant… Moses’ staff… hmm… the Cross of Christ…).
Museums are visual and tangible facets of history. Where we have been. What we have accomplished. How we have expressed ourselves. They are a reminder of the great work of art that God created when he formed Mankind.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:26-28 NIV
What a remarkable privilege — people are created by God and in His image. Created to rule over the earth and to know our Creator God. God is a wondrously creative God and people display part of His imagine in the creative expressions of humanity; which are on full display in places like the MET.
As I reflect on history in places like museums, I cannot help but be reminded of how often Mankind has ignored; even outright rebelled, against God. Pagan cultures that reflect pagan gods. Secularism celebrated… hedonism embraced. Humanity was created by God for the purpose of having a relationship with God, yet many settle for superficial satisfactions.
Yes, the accomplishments of Mankind are impressive, yet most people do not realize that we are created in the image of an impressively, creative God. God expresses Himself through Creation and so do people, but God longs for His created beings to seek Him and know Him.
If you visit the MET, feel free to be in awe at the masterpieces of art on display, but never forget the amazing masterpiece of God that is on display when a person stands redeemed in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). And trust me on this… have a chili dog or two.
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