Thursday, April 6, 2000
Thursday, April 6, 2000
He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
Verna Louise Young of Fremont, Ohio, wrote that she first visited the Smithsonian for one day in
August 1976 with her nephew. They entered a small gallery where they saw a seated man who
appeared to have dozed off while reading a newspaper. Verna had just read an article about the
sculptor Duane Hanson, who placed his lifelike creations of ordinary people, wearing real clothes
and working wristwatches, in real-life settings. "People think the sculptures are alive and try to
talk to them," she told her nephew. They stood admiring the "dozing man," commenting on the
details they thought were especially realistic.
Ignoring her admonition not to touch the display, Verna's nephew very carefully reached forward
to move back the sculpture's coat sleeve to check the time. At that point the "sculpture" raised
its head, mumbled something and offered them its newspaper. The nephew gasped, "He's alive!"
before fleeing, leaving Verna to explain to a befuddled gentleman who had fallen asleep in the
Smithsonian why two strangers were trying to read his watch.
Do others know you are alive with God's spirit?
(1 Peter 3:18
NRSV)
I was amused by a letter that appeared in the February 1996 issue of THE SMITHSONIAN
magazine. The magazine had asked their readers to send them an anecdote about their first visit to
the Smithsonian museums.
Dear God, inspire me to be alive with your spirit, so that others will see your grace. Amen.
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