Thinking Inside the Box (S12 Episode41)

If you had the privilege of sitting through any kind of brainstorming meeting over the past 25 years or so, chances are you heard this phrase at some point: “We just need to think outside the box.” It is a pithy little saying, and its meaning is obvious enough. The person who said it probably didn’t love the ideas being generated and wanted to inspire others to expand their thinking. Fair enough. Sometimes we need that reminder.

But this Sunday I want to make a case for the opposite: thinking inside the box. To do that, I want to tell you a marvelous story about a religious work of art from one of the greatest artists of all time. Just because we are given a box to work within, doesn’t mean we can’t create something beautiful. Embracing the limitations of the “box” might liberate us from a lot of shame and pressure. It might even make us more grateful.