Fraternity-Testvériség, 1962 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1962-03-01 / 3. szám
FRATERNITY 3 However, something else did happen: by the alchemy of nature or in the Providence of God, the pain gradually grew less, and there were signs of amelioration of the disease. It took months, but complete healing finally took place. We do not minimize the powerful influence of mind over matter — we implicitly believe the Lord can and does heal. What better proof can there be than that the predicted three months have stretched into 44 busy, fruitful and happy years — with the added blessing of three sons born to our union — and that now, as I near the 70-year mark, I feel almost as vigorous as ever, am well occupied with my work and have the joy of Ruth’s unfailing companionship? Yet the important part of this experience is not that I was healed, but that I learned an exciting and dynamic principle: when we turn our lives over to God, without reservation, He can and will do remarkable things through us. It was this personal philosophy that made it possible for me to do the "Head of Christ". It began as an assignment from a small Christian youth publication in January, 1924, for a cover design. I thought to do the face of Christ. My first attempts were all wrong. Finally there were only 24 hours until delivery date. I tried again and again the preceding evening, but the impressions that came to my mind were futile. I felt disturbed and frustrated. I went to bed at midnight, restless in spirit, but did ask God once more to give me the vision I needed. Suddenly about two o’clock I came out of my fitful attempts at sleep with a clear, beautiful image of the "Head of Christ" startlingly vivid in my mind. I hastened to my attic studio to record it. I made a thumb-nail sketch, working as fast as I could in order that the details of the dream might be captured before fading out of my mind. Next morning I made a charcoal drawing from it. This "Head of Christ" hardly caused a ripple of comment when it first appeared. But in 1940 I made an oil painting of the "Head" and, in the years since, its distribution has attained phenomenal proportions. (More than 100 million copies have been published and distributed throughout the world.) Yet I always think of the portrayal as something God did — through me. For Ruth and I believe that as disciples of Christ our task is primarily seed-sowing of good deeds, good thoughts and good purposes. Yet we are human enough to enjoy hearing or knowing of results — often strange and unpredictable — accompanying our labors. For instance, there was a recent incident in Los Angeles. A robber rang the doorbell to an apartment. When the lady opened the door, he thrust a revolver in her face and snapped, “This is a holdup. Give me your money and jewelry!” Just then he looked up and saw behind the woman a large picture on the wall. It was the "Head of Christ". For a moment he seemed to freeze. Slowly he lowererd his gun. “I can’t do it, lady”, he gasped, “not in front of that picture.” And he turned and ran down the stairs. (From “Guideposts”, Feb., 1962)
