Chains of Spanish Silver: The Church in the Modern Culture

 

Chains of Spanish Silver: The Church in the Modern Culture

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." - Joshua 1:8 

The old craftsman ran the links slowly through his stubby, dirty fingers. He felt the smooth texture, the solid weight of each loop of precious silver mined from the hills of Peru. He gazed at the noble metal's sheen through squinted eyes, drinking in the chain's beauty. The silver chain was a precious piece from the collection of the silversmith Aragon. The old craftsman ran it time after time through his hands, remembering when he, as a much younger man, had been an artisan of the silver from the Cordillera districts. He had formed the malleable metal into ornaments for tableware and jewelry. But never had he seen or touched anything as lovely or perfect as this chain.

But something wasn't right. Three of the chain's pieces, though wonderfully crafted, lacked the luster of the other twenty links. Silver is prized for its ability to reflect 97 percent of visible light, and these three loops appeared dull. The old craftsman's trained eye knew that they were alloys, a mixture of silver and another, less costly metal. That wasn't the mystery. What bothered him was the way in which they had been placed within the chain. Aragon, the maestro, would never have done such an unspeakable thing. Silver chains of Aragon's workmanship always had twenty-five links; this had twenty-three, and not all of them were genuine. This chain was from the hand of Aragon, yet it wasn't. Other hands, less honorable ones, had had their way with the valuable ornament.

The old craftsman knew what he had to do. In the twilight years of life he would renew the chain. He would craft five new links of the purest Cordillera silver. He would restore the hand of Aragon. He would redeem the craftsmanship of his father.

The church has taken some lumps in the modern era, but it has also strengthened and introduced ideas crucial to true Christianity. The true body of Christ faith and practice in the modern era has the same features as Aragon's chain. Links of authentic biblical ideas inherited from the apostles and those that followed who were faithful to the scriptures are part of the present. But new ideas have entered the chain. Some reflect biblical teaching; others masquerade as biblical. Restoration of authenticity is process of vigilance and is still needed. The task of maintaining Christianity is still ongoing.