Would you like to see my favorite piece of art?  First, here’s the back story:  I saw it about a year ago at the Dallas Museum of Art. Unfortunately, as soon as I left the room, I forgot the artist and the name. I scoured the internet for it, but to no avail (mostly because my search terms “giant blue man” didn’t turn up anything helpful). This past Friday, I met some friends at the DMA for the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit. I got there before them, so I had time to peruse the gift shop. I was ecstatic when I found a postcard of this artwork (for only $1!).

I need to clarify that I won’t be hanging a life-size print of this above my mantel anytime soon. It’s not “beautiful” but it speaks volumes to me. Ready?

Untitled (big/small figure), 2004 by Tom Friedman

Before you freak out because it’s not a painting of the Eiffel Tower or water lilies, let me walk you through what I was thinking when I first saw it. I walked into the room and saw (I’m not good at estimating height) a two foot blue Styrofoam man.  My first impression was near revulsion. What the heck is this all about? Just a styrofoam man? Any yahoo could do that. What’s the point?

As I got closer, I noticed the tiny man at his feet, staring up at him.  In that second, this piece of art became incredibly meaningful for me.

One of my favorite movie scenes is from Evan Almighty, where Steve Carell’s character becomes a modern-day Noah. At the end of the movie, Morgan Freeman, who plays God, and Steve Carell share a moment on a mountaintop. They do this stupid dance that Evan is known for and God (Morgan) is laughing and delighting in His creation. (You can watch it here, but unfortunately some silly German added a stupid song over the words. Just know that it’s a very sweet scene.)

I love this idea that our God is personal- that He wants a relationship with us. He loves us despite our sin and our pride and our ignorance. He’s actively pursuing us. He delights in us. He’s interested in us.  He is so big and yet, He chooses to love us and be interested in us. That’s the meaning that I bring to this piece of art and I cherish the reminder this postcard will bring me.