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Description
Imagine a satin glass window. A many color mosaic set in stone, cold and beautiful. A picture so beautiful and vibrant that you can’t tell the weather through it. Through the window it is always summer with the colors your window absorbs. What color is it? Does it shine bright or is it dulled by thick glass? What color shines the brightest? What picture do the many colors create?

Now imagine your stain glass set in stone in a church. Your surrounded by statues and religious icons. Your window is in the back behind the alter of your stone church. It lights the back of the priest on Sunday as he reads the gospel. As he reads his voice echos off the dome church roof as if god himself would not allow the voice in heaven. The preacher gets louder and the echo grows stronger and the light through the stain glass window casts a blood red shadow across the white lennon alter cloth. And you realize that no mater how loud that man screams the years of oppression and persecution have forever barred his voice inside that dome ceiling. As his voice gets louder your stain glass window shakes with the vibration as a voice tries to reach a heaven he will never grasp.

All goes dark and you hear screaming outside your stone walls and the light behind your window flickers with the light of a war fire. You knew it was wrong but it was what your lord told you to do. There was already to much bloodshed in the town and the people were getting rebellious. They told you to find their revolutionary leader to have a meeting and when he arrived he was greeted with a feast. Seasoned in poison. When the news reached the towns the people took to arms and soon the house was being consumed by fire. All you did was what you were told. You knew it was wrong but disobedience would have meant your own death. As you pass through door after door looking for a way out you know there is no escape. And now. Now the fire of the people. Will start everything new.

You pass through a tall white door into a lavish room full of riches. Everything is bathed in the beauty of the summer sun. As the colors of your stain glass window shine into the room the color reflects off the white walls you take in everything you have. All the business victories you’ve gained and all the money you’ve made. But something is wrong. Something is missing. With all that you have and all the status in society you’ve gained you shouldn’t feel empty. You should feel full of pride and of victory. And as you look at everything you have you realize what’s wrong. Trapped. You’re trapped by your own class and accomplishments. You’ll never be able to be seen outside your class again. You’ll never be able to love someone who isn’t as rich as you, you’ll never know the taste of fast food or the joy of a slummy party. You are doomed forever to yacht club parties and a life where one false rumor or accusation can destroy everything you’ve worked for. Like a stone through a glass window everything shatters and you realize the beautiful misleading tinted glass window of it all.

Art surrounds you as you stand in the middle of a group select few for the unveiling. A white sheet surrounds a mystery of beauty and accomplishment. As the lights go down the sheet falls revealing the artists new work. A simple stain glass window. The spotlight behind the glass is so bright it hurts your eyes and the heat of it starts to fill the room. You stop, and think, about everything that was put into this simple piece of glass. How long it must have taken the artist to form the perfect shape of glass just to fit one piece of the pictures puzzle. How many cuts the artist must have on his hand just from handling the glass for hours each day. And with all the burns, cuts and pain he was able to create something beautiful and fragile. From nothing the artist was able to create a simple many colored window that struck you down to the soul with awe and wonder.

Imagine you are back where you started, alone, with your stain glass window. What picture does it form? What colors shine through? Is it dulled by the thickness of glass or does the light shine through it perfectly? As you stand alone with your window gazing at the picture that is yours and yours alone. Gazing at a symbol of love or loss or even soul. And as you gaze you hear a faint whistle. As it grows louder you wonder what it is. Then suddenly... Your window shatters and the reality is there outside your window. A carelessly thrown stone lies at your feet and you gaze through the gaping hole left by your shattered window. It rains outside and you sigh at the shattered illusion of color scattered about your feet. Do you pick up the pieces and try to start again even though the pieces cut into your hands from lifting them and your feet from walking on them. Do you rebuild your window? Or do you turn away alone, to face the rain and the reality outside.