The Reality

“These rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.”—Colossians 2:17 NLT

Composer Maurice Ravel was fascinated by Shakespeare’s comment, “The eye sees not itself, but by reflection.” Building on these ideas, Ravel developed a five-movement suite for solo piano called Miroirs (Reflections). The piece premiered in 1906.

This music blurred the line between reality and reflection, as suggested by the titles of each movement. One title suggested the flight of moths, while another evoked birds lost in a forest. Another gave a sense of waves tossing a small boat in the ocean, then Spanish guitar chords rang out, and the final movement gave the impression of distant church bells fading into silence.

Grappling with a new way of approaching reality, Ravel achieved these colors through music and the tonal potential of the piano.

Some people struggle with how to approach life. Many seek to find reality through material things that can be seen and touched. Others focus on the unseen—emotions or impressions. Some throw themselves into the world of fantasy through videos, games, and other media.

The Bible calls us to find reality through our relationship with Jesus. We aren’t to be confused by images encouraged in the world. Our perspective is to be shaped by faith, which is “the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 CSB).

Find your reality by focusing on God’s Word, your relationship with Jesus, and living by faith.

Reflection Question: How do you tend to perceive the world?