A Picture of Jesus

The History Channel has presented a documentary based on the work of graphic experts attempting to recreate a picture of Jesus from the Shroud of Turin. To accomplish their task, they have used advanced 3D software to capture a more accurate image from the shroud that some claim was the shroud that Jesus' body was wrapped in following His crucifixion. While their process was unique and interesting, there is no certainty that the resulting picture looks anything like the Jesus looked during his earthly life.



Many people have commented about the picture saying that it doesn't look like Jesus. What are they comparing the History Channel's picture to? It is not like Jesus handed out wallet size photos to the disciples and his closest friends and family members. Most are comparing the new picture to one that is either in their Bible or hangs in their church or appears on a poster. We sometimes forget that those were simply paintings by artists centuries after the time of Jesus. There were no Polaroids and digital prints during the 1st Century.



I did see one lady interviewed on a television news program that I agreed with. She said: "I don't care about what Jesus looked like; I just care about what He did." Wow! That is a great statement that should reflect the outlook of all of us. As we approach Good Friday and then Easter Sunday, here are a few statements about what Jesus did:

• God chose to become like one of us by taking on flesh and living among us being born as the baby Jesus. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
• Jesus stated that the only path to God is through faith in Jesus, the Christ. "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6
• Jesus lived without sinning but took on the sin of all of us that we might have a relationship with God. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Jesus's crucifixion was the great expression of God's love for us. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ (Jesus) died for us." Romans 5:8
• Jesus' resurrection is God's validation of his promise of eternal life to those who put their faith in Him. "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

This Easter is not about how Jesus looked. It is all about what He did and what that means to me.

It Is All in Your Head

The phrase "it is all in your head" sometimes causes us to take offense. We may interpret that statement to mean that whatever ailment we have complained about is, in reality, simply part of our imagination and not real. The truth is that many of the things we experience begin in the brain and can be treated in the brain. One concert master found this to be true related to the tremors in his arm. His situation and correction were reported by Diane Sawyer on ABC Evening News (watch the video).

I watched the report and began to wonder - are there some things in my brain that need to be adjusted to improved the way I live. No, I don't play the violin, or any other musical instrument for that matter. But I do have impulses in my brain that certainly affect my life in a negative way - the impulse for another piece of fried chicken or seconds on dessert; the impulse to tell someone off to relieve my stress but to greatly add to theirs; or just the impulse to waste time on something trivial when more important matters wait. (I know that those don't sound like deep, dark sinful impulses, but you didn't really think that I was going to confess those things to everyone who can read a blog, did you?)

In 1972, Charlie Shedd wrote a book titled "The Fat Is in Your Head." His point was that we all make decisions and choices about the kinds and amounts of food we eat. If we want to be thinner or healthier, we must decide those things and then make choices that are consistent with the choice.

I would consider a surgery like our violinist friend had if my irregular impulses would be corrected. The results could be the beginning of not only a weight loss journey but maybe, just maybe, there would be a few other things improved along the way.

The reality is that surgery is not the key for myself and probably not for you either. The key for us probably doesn't even fall in the categories of stronger self control, determination, or will. The key may be a spiritual one in that we begin to allow the God who created us in His image to have control in our decision-making and actions that we take as a result of those decisions. He alone has the loving power to control my impulses and give me the desire to live life His way rather than mine.

When You Are the Boss . . .

I watch television for escapism. My favorite shows are mainly investigative dramas. But I have stumbled upon a new CBS program that may make my list of programs to record. "Undercover Boss" is a reality show in which a CEO of a major corporation goes undercover to discover the real jobs and real people within the larger framework of the business. The result is that the "boss" often discovers that some jobs are harder than he understood; some employees are doing more than what is expected; and the basic needs of the employees are usually not known by their supervisors.

This is one program that actually has some lessons worth learning that are applicable to anyone who has a responsibility in working with or supervising others. Some of the best include:

1. Take time to get to know your employees - listen to what they say.
2. Become familiar with what the business is really about.
3. Treat people decently and respectfully regardless of positions and roles.
4. Make decisions based on real information rather than rumored information.
5. Security and safety are major needs for all employees.
6. We don't always know as much as we think we do.

Note to Self: Listening is not just hearing words. Real listening is hearing words, noticing body language, sensing the heart and emotion, placing the communication in context, and offering a response that is genuine and appropriate.