First Baptist Church of Herndon

Hidden Faces

Linda Soller | Jun 17, 2019

I sat in the dentist office waiting for my 6-month cleaning and glanced at a print on the wall across from me. It was a cowboy and two horses on a trail in wooded rocky terrain. My first thought was that I didn’t realize my dentist, who I’ve gone to for years, was a fan of the great west. My attention wandered then to the magazine rack just to the right and I marveled at how few of the people on the covers were recognizable to me. Then I let my eyes slide back to the print and like magic I saw the faces hidden in the scenery. Noble faces of Native Americans, presumably watching the cowboy pass through their land. The hidden faces went from being invisible to me to being all I could see.

How often do you walk down the street, drive down the road, push a cart through the grocery store, or dare I say, sit in church and not really see the faces of those around you? Our minds wander, and we get so wrapped up in what we are doing that we miss the faces. Faces tell us so much. Think for a moment of photo portraits that illustrate the wear and tear of human existence on the faces of the subjects. Think of old portraits and how stern the people look. If only they’d smiled for the artist, they might appear more human. Eyes may be the window to the soul, but a face tells the story of person. How can we understand people and care for people if we don’t really see them?

Many wondered why Jesus bothered with some of the people He taught and cared for. He dealt with the “undesirables” of the world. I think He saw their faces. I think He looked them in the eye and saw their humanity. I feel strongly that He sought out people, so they would no longer be hidden. More importantly, once seen, He cared for them. As I sit here writing this I can still see the faces in the print. Once you truly see a face, can it ever be hidden again?

This week try to see the hidden faces! :o) Linda

P.S. I can’t see your face, but I can thank you for 365 weeks of Drop-In Online readership!