Children of Creative Purpose

my wife and i toured a house designed by frank lloyd wright a few days ago.  it was one of many such houses we've visited, and each leaves me marveling at his genius.  the guide for this tour was especially knowledgable, pointing out details that worked together to create the total effect of the house.  he demonstrated how wright had considered the placement of each concrete block, each support beam, each vertical support member, and the floor grid, so that all the elements of the house's "bones" were complimentary.  the impact of the horizontal elements, from the raking of the mortar in the joints to the placement of the built-in shelving to the flat roof, caused the eyes of the home's viewer to be drawn to the "rootedness" of the home in the earth.  the wall of windows across the rear elevation of the house and the continuation of the floor grid, color, and material from the interior to the exterior made one feel at one with the natural world outside the home.

as we walked inside and around the exterior of this beautiful creation, i tried to imagine what it would be like to live in such a home.   i marveled at how wright's careful planning would have changed the inhabitants' character and world-view.  because wright's philosophy of organic architecture and the subtle impact of his design undoubtedly had an effect on those who lived there, he made its inhabitants better people and the world a better place.

here is a model for our existence in the world, insignificant as we are in the universe.  we create the environment in which we live and are a part of what we create.  are we attentive to the details of our lives?  do we consider how the elements of our lives, the moment-by-moment decisions we make, affect ourselves and others?  do we live deliberately, or are we going through life thoughtlessly, without consideration of the effect of our actions or lack of action?  do the details of our lives work together to create a unified whole, or do we live willy-nilly?

may each of us create a life that makes us and the world around us better.  may we take responsibility for our own plans or lack of planning.  may we be fully aware of the beauty around us and be one with that beauty.  may each moment lead to the next with purpose and awareness.  shalom.