I think that someday they will make Cecilia Jimenez a saint. Not now. Certainly not any time soon. Right now, she is scorned by all of those around her. Her depression is so severe that she can't even leave her home. But someday, centuries from now, she will be remembered for her faith, devotion, and sincerity.
Who is Cecilia Jimenez? She is the woman who is now infamous for this "renovation" project on an icon at her local parish.
It has become known as "Potato Jesus" and has spawned hundreds of internet memes. The original was painted by a critical and commercially unsuccessful Spanish painter who most of the world has forgotten about. It was restored by Cecilia Jimenez who will one day be made a saint.
I love this woman, because I have spent my life around people just like her. The painting had been severely damaged by humidity, and there were no funds to have it professionally repaired - so she took up paint and brush and did it herself.
The church universal is held together by the glue of men and women like Cecilia. Having spent a lifetime praying in this church, she felt great sorrow that the beloved icon had been ruined by moisture, and she did what she could.
Of course, the priest says he had no idea she was doing it, but she had been painting for days in plain sight of everyone. Either her priest hadn't shown up to the church in over a week, or he is lying. It's a pity. Her priest should embrace her. What a moment for the church to show grace. The priest should be leading a large party and celebration in recognition of the new masterpiece of human devotion to God.
Because, what better represents all of our efforts of faithfulness; the perfect production of a static Christ by an acclaimed artist or the wrecked, tattered devotion-driven failed attempt of an older, faithful woman.
One of my favorite songs, when I was a new Christian, was called Dandelions. It compared our attempts at devotion to a child picking dandelions for his mother. Compared to what God has done for us, all of our efforts are childishly laughable, and tenderly embraced by God.
I recently preached my first sermon in Ukrainian. It was about Simeon and Anna. I focused primarily on Anna, because I had never really thought about her role in the story before. How laughable was my attempt at preaching in Ukrainian you might ask? At one point I mixed up the Ukrainian word for promise (OBitsyanka) and the Russian word for monkey (obiZYAnka) - stating that Simeon had a "monkey" from God that he would see the Messiah before his death. No one laughed, but everyone smiled.
It was my first attempt, and it wasn't an utter failure. It was pretty good, and everyone was very encouraging. But, it wasn't much better than dandelions or this botched painting. It was done in faithfulness to a calling, and it brought great joy. It was a blessed and holy time - for me if for no one else.
And, here is what I wanted to include in that sermon, but couldn't get the words right. Cecilia Jimenez is Anna.
Anna was an old woman who had lived at the temple praying and worshipping for years. She was a woman, old, a widow, and childless. Her culture had no value for her. She was the crazy church lady. She wasn't even allowed into the main part of the temple because of her gender, but still she stayed. And she prayed. She prayed that the Savior would come - and God heard her prayer and answered her prayer.
I wonder what Cecilia Jimenez has spent her life praying for? Has God answered her prayers without her knowledge?
In the end, I believe with all of my heart, that she will be rewarded for her faithfulness - regardless of the outcome of this one failed attempt. In the future, people will read about her work and be inspired by the simple fact that our terrible, failed attempts at proper devotion to the God we love are truly loved by the God who loves us.
Potato Jesus has brought hundreds of people into that little church to see the new tourist attraction. Maybe just one of them will be inspired to spend some time in prayer or contemplation. It will be worth it. Even our sad attempts to live out our devotion to Christ can help show the way to the Savior.
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