Volume 32

In Florence, Italy, the Santa Maria del Fiori cathedral was dedicated to John the Baptist. Next to it was the Baptistry, an eight-sided building in which, until recently, everyone in Florence was baptised in the Roman Catholic faith. To beautify the Baptistry, authorities commissioned three sets of massive, bronze doors adorned with sculpture.

The first of the ornate doors was finished in 1336 but then came an economic crash and the Plague. Finally, in 1400, seven prominent artists were asked to submit a bronze panel depicting Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mt. Moriah (Genesis 22.) From those submissions, the elite of Florence would pick a sculptor to complete the final two doors of the Baptistry.

After two years of meticulous work, the competition came down to Filippo Brunelleschi, already famous for his art, and 20-year-old Lorenzo Ghiberti, a painter who had done almost no sculpture. To the shock of Brunelleschi, the young upstart’s panel was chosen unanimously because of its graceful fluidity and innovative technique.

Ghiberti gloated and allowed pride to get the better of him as he worked on the doors for 21 years. Michaelangelo said the sculptured entranceways were worthy to be called “the Gates of Paradise” and it seems Ghiberti agreed. On the third set of doors, he added his own portrait, inserting himself into a scene of New Testament prophets.

As for Brunelleschi, he was so crushed and insulted he forsook art for architecture. Specifically, the city’s cathedral was missing a dome and the dejected artist was the only one who could design one big enough, but light enough not to crush the building. His solution was a two-dome design, one inside the other. The lower supported the higher one, allowing Brunelleschi to build what was, at that time, the largest dome in the world.

In this story of artistic temperament, there are valuable lessons about how we use the talents given us by God. And make no mistake. Each of us has such a talent and our Father wants us to bring them together for our mutual benefit in the church, which was always intended to be a living, dynamic family of love and support, not a cold, impersonal institution. “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church,” says Paul (1 Cor. 12:7) He goes on to say we all need each other to function properly, just like the parts of a human body.

But in “the love chapter” that follows, the main message is that our giftedness means nothing if we’re not motivated by love. “If I had the gift of prophesy and knew all the mysteries of the future, and knew everything about everything but didn’t love others, what good would I be?” Paul asks. “And if I had the gift of faith so I could speak to a mountain and move it, without love I’d be no good to anybody.” (v.2)

When we serve God and others, it must be to honour them, not ourselves. Ghiberti would’ve done well to remember that “Love is not jealous or boastful or proud, or rude.” (vv. 4,5) just as Brunelleschi should’ve known “Love is not irritable and keeps no record of when it has been wronged... Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (vv. 5,7)

Just as the proud Ghiberti was later eclipsed by some of his students, the recognition we crave from accomplishment will be fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying. And just as Brunelleschi found his true calling in the aftermath of defeat and disappointment, God can truly use a servant who’s more interested in character than credit. Sometimes opportunity knocks. Sometimes we get our knocks from opportunity. Either way, love will open the door to something better.

By Rick Gamble. Published in Cross Current, the weekly newsletter of the followers of Christ congregation in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Reprint at will in not-for-profit publications. To subscribe to this free weekly article,