Imitators

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
~Ephesians 5:1-2


One of my ATC swap challenges was to make an ATC in the style or a copy of each of the 4 other participant's favorite artists.

The first one was in the style of Rosina Wachtmeister;

and the strange and weird style of Michael DeMeng;

the style of Nicoletta Cecoli;

and the style of Anne Julie Aubry;

 

I find it to be a challenge enough to create acceptable art on a small 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch card, but to copy the work of another artist shows me how short I fall from the original.  What might seem like talent when compared with my own work or other "novices" pales in comparison to the real thing.

And even if I were very proficient in my own right, it is so difficult to mimick someone else.

I was thinking about how the same holds true when we are called, as Christians - "little Christs" - to imitate Christ.  No matter how much I try, I cannot come close to "being" Christ.  It is just not possible.  As long as we confine our comparisons to other imperfect humans, we can smugly go about life feeling - pretty GOOD - about ourselves.  But when the comparison is directed to the sinless, perfect, omnicient One ... we fail on EVERY level.

Now, even with all my art imperfections, each of my art friends could recognize which artist I was trying to imitate because there were enough similarities to set each card apart.

In the same way, no Christian will ever "resemble" Christ to the extent of being mistaken as BEING Christ Himself.  But... there should be just enough similarities with Him that others around can recognize to Whom we belong. We are the "set apart" - Holy ones, the "little Christs" here on Earth.