As humans, we cannot abide a negative space. Watch as your entryway console or coffee table fills with the detritus of life, without any conscious effort. Too much! Our energies go to cleaning it. Still, we place an intentional candle, lamp, or vase of flowers – some décor to avoid the void.
Genesis announces right after “In the beginning” that our earth was “without form or void,” made of dark waters. I like the sound of the Hebrew phrase describing this: Tohu va-bohu.
God immediately sets the right balance by creating contrast with light and land, using positive and negative space. Artists expertly use these spatial skills. Consider the silhouette or the cityscape scene with dark, sharp-edged buildings at dusk, set against a pink sunset-hued skyline. Musicians employ a “ghost” note in a song, so listeners supply the missing beat with a foot tap. Negative space is often a positive, bringing shape and organization, if arranged with intention.
God’s PRUNING eliminates the bad, or unnecessary, leaving space for growth. He hides us in the CLEFT (void) of the rock for protection. The skunk and the zebra are striking examples of His creative use of positive and negative design.
Our schedule is often so full as to eliminate the place of rest essential for our well-being. In loss and grief, the negative is magnified because we realize our lives must be amended forever to cope with the loss and the void it creates. We often fill space when there is a pause in conversation or prayer. We sometimes need to embrace the void of silence so God can communicate: His comfort, His answer, His healing. In the void of waiting for answered prayer, our faith is shaped. He holds the delicate balance as He fills space with purpose, not clutter.
– Nan Robertson
Christ Fellowship