At first, being endowed by my Creator with a doubting mind, I thought, "Ha! What sort of nonsense is this?!" But, when I saw the close ups of the tree trunk and listened to the emotional reaction of the residents in the area, I started to wonder.
Maybe I am too cynical. Maybe my disbelief comes from some inner pressure that prevents me from opening my heart to the wondrous events around me.
It turned out that the inner tension could be relieved by other means, but that is not to say that I am innocent of cynicism when it comes to religious iconography and belief.
I felt that I should reconsider my wayward nature and try to find the truth in these images. I needed to trust my heart and let it surrender to the mystery of salvation.
This voyage of spiritual discovery required some preparation, so I spent a long evening in meditative surfing of the internet. I explored the many websites out there which are devoted to self-discovery and spiritual awareness.
Slowly, my outlook was transformed. I began to see how wrong I had been all these years, ignoring the reality of faith that had probably presented its proof to my very own eyes countless times. I had hardened my heart to belief and in consequence had only deprived myself of the warmth of religious embrace.
I first looked for other similar images; perhaps I too could eventually bear witness to what the faithful saw in these ordinary objects.
The image of Jesus is one which his flock often discover.
Jesus on a crab, for example, was found not far from Seattle, up in Everett*. Naturally, disbelieving as I used to be, the Huffington Post put down this revelation by suggesting it looked more like Osama Bin Laden, but that is because the editors there are a faithless lot who should all be turned into pillars of salt! Regrettably, the crab was a female and had to be returned to the sea, so it could not find its rightful place as an object of worship in the community.
A Texas family found an image of their Savior, Jesus, in shower-stall mold, an image they claim helped control one family member's HIV and keep another out of prison! Such is the power of spiritual acceptance. Of course, doubters might say it looks more like Tiny Tim, but that is because they have not shed the scales of disbelief from their eyes.
Another woman captured the Son of God praying in her TV! No... that's not right... Jesus was not praying in her TV. What I meant to say was that she took a picture of her TV and later saw the image of Jesus praying in the picture. It was miraculous.
A New Mexico man found the image of Jesus in his tortilla, and others saw the likeness of Mary in a hamburger joint in Tampa. Cynics will sniff at this evidence of divine revelation and say that nobody even knows what Jesus or the Virgin Mary looked like. But truly God works in mysterious ways, and we who have found the Way know in our hearts what is true and what is not.
After several hours of devotional picture surfing, I began to experience an epiphany. My heart opened to the wonder of faith and with it my eyes too began to see. The inner pressure of long repudiation began to well up in me.
With my eyes clouded by tears of emotion from the profound revelation I had experienced, I rushed out into the night to see if I too could bring witness to the miraculous.
My fervent prayers were answered! For right there at my feet was the image of the Madonna and Child!
I was enlightened and – bursting the dam of denial – for that moment at least had achieved a state of transcendental bliss.
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Clicking the links in the article might bring YOU salvation too. I recommend it!
*Check out all the inspirational images in the slideshow!
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