Hidden

A Chinese photographer pondered the movement toward Christianity in his country since the period of the Japanese invasion from 1931 through World War II. The photographer witnessed many of his friends converting to Christianity through the influence of Christian missionaries in his country. He longed to know the truth. Greatly troubled, the photographer prayed one day as he walked through home through the winter snow. “Lord, if I could only see your face, I would believe.”  

A voice spoke to his heart, “Take a picture.”

The photographer surveyed the pools of melting snow that exposed the earth beneath. There seemed nothing attractive or interesting in the scene. Nevertheless, the photographer focused his lens on the snowy landscape and snapped a photo.

When he arrived at home, he developed the film immediately, more out of curiosity than expectation. Formed from the black and white areas of the snow scene, the young man beheld the face of Christ looking directly at him full of love and compassion. The photographer sought baptism and became a Christian.

This image circulated since the late 1950s. I found it in the late 1970’s and keep it on my desk. The image is the face of Christ. Some people see the face immediately, some see the face gradually and some people cannot see the face at all. Can you see him?

Perhaps the image represents how difficult it can be to find Christ hidden in today’s world. Quite often, we create our own barriers and blinders. Disappointments lead to bitterness and mar our vision to what lies underneath hidden mystery. And there always is Christ waiting to love us with tender compassion. We want to know the truth but miss it even when it meets us on the proverbial road.

Through baptism, Christ initiates us into his light so we can find him through our blind spots, like the earth hidden under the snow. Our baptism in Christ plunges us into grace and inaugurates us as members of his body.  Our ‘missionary’ task is to seek and find Christ in every snowy crack and murky crevice and make him known to everyone who longs to know the truth.