For twenty-five years,
David Suchet has portrayed the famous Agatha Christie Detective Hercule Poirot for the BBC - episodes Paul and I treasure. Before Suchet began to act, he intently read all the novels and short stories, and took copious notes to be perfectly certain that his depiction would capture the Detective as Christie had envisioned him.
But, he didn't, not really. Christie grew tired of Poirot, considered her creation "completely egocentric." But, generations of readers and play and movie-watchers have discovered something deeply lovable in Poirot. One look into Suchet's eyes as he portrays the little Belgian Detective and you see Poirot's great heart and soul. Suchet discovered that Poirot was supposed to be a religious man, and, being a recently converted Anglican himself, Suchet portrayed Hercule, a Catholic, as not only a man with a great ego, but also one who recognized his gift, a man of depth who believed God had sent him to be an instrument of compassionate justice in the world.
The potential of Christie's creation is greater than its creator realized! Hercule Poirot captures Christie's truest soul , whether she realized this or not in her lifetime.
Rick James, King of Punk Funk, both raised and buried in my hometown, Buffalo, New York, invested his deepest soul in his still-influential music. His life was in many ways a chaotic, drug and violence-fueled mess, but his music still impacts people at a deep, enriching level. Vincent Van Gogh, incredible French Impressionist painter whose mystical "Starry, Starry Night" enthralls Paul and me, suffered at least one psychotic episode, in which he severed his ear and sent it to a brothel he frequented.
What a wonder! Humans, created in God's Image and Likeness, have received the gift of also being creators, able to create works of significance which contain our purest souls and often outshine and outlive us. We're able to do this because we are created Masterpieces ourselves! We mirror our Creator, Who has placed His Truest Self in His human creation - us.
What is beautiful, true, and good about God, God has given to us, placed in us. We will never out-shine God, but we can believe that, if He has created us, He has given each of us His best, in a unique way. Only we can hurt and disfigure the beautiful, true, and good way in which we each mirror our Creator - and only by willfully choosing to turn away from God.
Tell yourself today how beautiful, good, and special you are. And resolve that, because you are a masterwork, made in God's Image and Likeness, you too will create something beautiful with your life.