Just the other night I watched a documentary about the woeful story of Venice, told by a Venetian who had helplessly watched the true beauty of the city be eroded by the romantic fantasies of British literary figures such as Lord Byron and Charles Dickens. The tranquillity of Venice seemed to be slowly torn apart by their imaginations. Despite the words that flourished from their pen, none had portrayed Venice as it truly had been. The Venice that they spoke of was an idyllic picture that existed only in their dreams. Painters were no different from the writers. They combined different vantage points of the city to produce a perfect Venetian landscape. But it was far from accurate.
Nonetheless, these fantasies fanned many a tourists to the great canals of Venice and they still are today. Yet it would seem now that the biggest problem is not the sinking of the city, the Venetian population is already dwindling. The issue is, what does it mean to be a true Venetian? The documentary ends on a sad note, with two born and bred Venetians discussing what has become of Venice – the fake Murano glass, the multitude of tourist shops and the loss of heritage. Indeed so, I distinctly remember the streets lined with souvenir shops, with a McDonalds’ restaurant strewn in between. Forgive me for saying so but it does not seem quite so perfect to me.
Yet this false Venice draws such a striking parallel to the world of Christianity today. What does it mean to be a true Christian? It seems that the world Jesus created has been so desecrated by our false ideals. I refuse to believe that the true Christian is but a ghost of a memory, a shadow on a thought. The Venetian proudly traced his lineage to nearly 200 years back, where his ancestors were buried in the same city. We have a lineage 2000 years back and so easily, we’ve forgotten it. Many do not regard the Bible as the treasure it is. They do not see it as the epic story it is, written by the hand of God. Instead, it has become a battleground for empty debate. The church, once a dwelling for the Holy Spirit that was brought alive by the truest worship of believers, seems but a hollow building in so many places around the world.
Instead of beckoning others to buy the fake Murano glass in our windows, we forget that watching the true Murano glassblower at work attracts more people. It attracts people who want the real deal. It’s the same with the Christian. Words never have as much meaning as actions do. When others see that you are the real deal, you won’t need words anymore.
So how did people like Charles Spurgeon, John G. Lake and John Bunyan keep their passion alive for God? It had nothing to do with the era they were in. They just remembered who they were. They stayed true to who they were and who they were to born be. Venetian or Christian, all we need to do is – keep it pure.
