The Open Door

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Frank Murphy, campus minister for Floyd and Berry colleges in Rome, painted the mural displayed on the ceiling lobby at the Missions and Ministry Center.

So begins the account of the creation of all things found in Genesis 1:1-5.

What a spectacular moment it must have been when, out of nothing, God created everything!

As the design phase for our new Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center moved forward in the early days of planning, God impressed upon my heart that our new building should tell His story and that it should begin at the beginning.

Having seen the remarkable artistic abilities of Frank Murphy, one of our campus ministers, I asked Frank if he would be willing to work with me in the creation of art in the lobby of the Missions and Ministry Center that would purposefully give glory to God for who He is and what He has done. Frank responded with enthusiasm and the result of his commitment is a wonder to behold.

I asked Frank if he would design and paint a depiction of that moment when God divided the light from the darkness. I had an image in my mind of how that might appear, but what Frank has painted is far superior to the image in my mind. It is truly a masterpiece in the finest sense of that term.

The painting depicts God pushing the darkness back and bringing forth a remarkable and beautiful light. Within the images of the painting, with careful observation, the viewer can distinguish the images of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We know that the Spirit of God was present and active in creation. The Genesis text says, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” We know that Jesus the Son was present and active in creation. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by [His] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe.” Colossians 1:16-17, speaking of Jesus, says, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”

One day as Frank and I were talking about the painting he asked, “Do you see the Bible in the painting?” I looked for it unsuccessfully. Then he said, “A hint might be to think about the fact that the Bible is the Word of God.” Upon my further visual study and questions, Frank pointed out that the Bible is pictured within the lips of Jesus in the painting. It was then that I saw it. Once seen, it became clear.

I encourage you to come to the new Missions and Ministry Center to see this remarkable painting for yourself. There is nothing like it anywhere in the world. It is an original masterpiece. Viewing the painting in the dome leads the observer to worship God. What a Mighty God we serve!