TO SEE HIS FACE

When Thorwaldsen, the famous Danish sculptor, had finished moulding the plastic clay for his statue, he went home, leaving the clay to dry and harden. But, during the night, a dense mist rolled in from the sea. When the sculptor returned to his studio the following morning, he thought that his embryonic masterpiece had been ruined. The majectic head of “Kristus”, which had been gazing heavenward, now faced downward. The hands of the clay figure, which had been held aloft as though to bless, were now stretched forward in an inviting way. Gazing upon the altered statue, Thorwaldsen suddenly realized that this was the way the figure ought to have been. “If you want to see the face of the “Kristus”, the sculptor exclaimed, “you must go down on your knees!” Yes, and if we would see the face of the One Whom this statue represents, we too must get down on our knees! And all the time He invites us to do so. - The Pilgrim