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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.
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