Just what does he really look like?

Somehow I agreed to give a talk at a Mother-Daughter Luncheon for three churches in the Cannon Falls area.

The topic was: "Growing up... do we ever stop?"

By researching it I figured I'd learn things that I'd be interested in too. But each idea I came up with didn't work out.

It was the day before the luncheon and I was still figuring it out. One idea was to use boxes - about 1 foot square - and draw a picture on each one. Actually, just a part of a picture. Then in front of the audience I would put it together like a puzzle.

They could guess what it was as I did this.

The only problem was that I don't know how to draw very well and it really looked pretty dorky!

My topic was to teach on various characteristics that we can grow into. These would include wisdom, humility, compassion, etc.

I have pictures from my stories as a photo-journalist to help describe these characteristics.

My "puzzle boxes" would be stacked up over six feet tall to present the picture of the person who showed us these characteristics: Jesus of Nazareth.

When drawing the face of Jesus I went to the internet. Many artists show their interpretations.

I don't really know which could be the right one. So I drew a head with hair and beard, but I left the face blank.

And then I decided to cut out the portion that would be the face.

My point was that God created people to be like his son, Jesus. And he promised to help us become like him.

I would then suggest that we take the cut-out picture of Jesus and look through it ourselves.

Not that we are him. But we are encouraged to become like him.

For us to look at life through his eyes.

Not to think that we are higher than him. But to follow through on the apparent plan of God to create more like him.

And some times, that may be the only picture of Jesus people ever see.

I had fun with my presentation and after the program was over I decided I wanted a picture of my six foot tall Jesus box puzzle.

I usually just aim my camera while using its screen to see the picture. When I get home I crop what I want on my computer.

But this time I looked through the tiny view-finder. This gives me a more intimate view because I only see the part I'm focusing on.

I closed one eye to concentrate and what I saw made me hold my breath.

There was an image coming through the empty cut-out face of Jesus!

I moved the camera away from my eyes and stared at it and then started smiling.

Behind my box statue was the altar and a painting of Jesus.

And part of that painting was coming through the cut-out face on my project.

It was the face of Jesus!

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