I
recently visited the National Museum of Toys and Miniature in Kansas City,
Missouri. Although I enjoyed revisiting the toys I played with as a child
(Spirograph! Mouse Trap! Operation!), what really astounded me was the
intricacy of the miniature pieces. Many items had to be viewed under a
microscope, such as fleas dressed in human clothing, the painting of a panda bear
on a grain of rice, and the Lord’s Prayer inscribed on a piece of ivory the
size of my thumbnail. I particularly enjoyed a tableau of a clock shop with a watchmaker’s
bench that included many of the tools I remember my father using.
It
gives me faith in humankind to know that there are people in the world who have
the patience to craft such tiny pieces of art. Technology has had the effect of
shortening our attention span, but we are still capable of becoming absorbed in
the painstaking act of creation. When we create, our breathing slows and we
learn something of God’s timing, in which our gifts and experiences unfold in a
contemplative space that permits integration and a sense of contentment.
Teilhard
de Chardin said, “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” Letting ourselves
be captivated by the tiny and intricate aspects of our world can help us put on
the mind of Christ, which includes slowing down and appreciating every little bit
of creation.
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