05/07/2026
Varnishing a painting protects it from the slow fading caused by time and light. But its more immediate purpose is to awaken the colors fully— revealing their richness and purity.
I’m reminded of the passage in the Gospel of Matthew:
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
The imagery of “abundance” matters. In the original Greek, the word suggests something stored up, overflowing from within. Our words may reveal us, but they are only echoes of what the heart contains.
That’s why faith in Christ feels, to me, like a kind of varnish for the soul. What quietly accumulates within us eventually reflects outward. And when His presence dwells there, goodness begins to shine through, not merely our own, but His.
