The Person Inside

I was reminded of four stories yesterday:

Abraham: Before the American-Danish sculptor Gutzon Borglum carved the presidents into Mount Rushmore, he was practicing on some blocks of marble in his studio. A small girl visited him and stared at a half-finished president’s face.

‘Is that Abraham Lincoln?’ she enquired

‘Yes,’ replied Gutzon.

The little girl looked thoughtful. ‘How did you know he was in there?’ she asked.

Giles: I know several churches dedicated to ‘St Giles’… Legend says that Giles was a hermit in a French forest, his only companion being a pet deer. The king’s hunters were chasing Giles’ deer. Protecting his deer Giles was injured by the arrow shot by the huntsmen…

Consequently Giles became the patron saint of the physically disabled. He’s also the saint for lepers, the mentally ill, outcasts, beggars, the poor, childhood fears, convulsions, depression…

Thinking of friends with physical, mental and social disabilities… remembering the importance of seeing through the cancer, dementia, debt… to the person inside.

Samuel: The prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem. God had told him that one of Jesse’s seven sons was to be the next king of Israel. Samuel thought it would be Jesse’s oldest son Eliab, a tall, strong young man.

God says: ‘The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’

Eventually David, the youngest, least likely son is chosen. God could see the person inside.

Kris: The news of Kris Kristofferson’s death reminded me of several of his songs… especially ‘Why me, Lord?’ When explaining how he came to write it, he talked about feeling lost and ‘carrying a big load of guilt around’:

Why me Lord?
What have I ever done
To deserve even one
Of the pleasure I’ve known?

Kristoferson was acutely aware of his faults and failings, but he came to know and appreciate the God, who could see through what he considered as wasted and worthless to the person inside.