South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-31
CHRIST PICTURE
SERMON THEME
Rev. Allison Would Enrich
Churches More With Pic
tOriaI Representations.

The Portrait Of the Christ.
formed the theme OF the sermon
yesterday morning at Hope Presby-
terrain chapel boy the pastor. George
william allison. In discussing this
theme from the text OF Jesus words
'.He that hath seen Ale hath seen
the Father. while the congrega-
ton held copies of Hofmann's The
Christ Ia copy Of which was pre-
sented 10 everyone present yester-
day). the minister sa q in part.
There Is always "A longing in the
most devOut souls 20 see God. We
cannot brook the old testament
dictum that No man hath seen God
at any time We believe with Jesus.
that the pure I'm heart shall see God.
And while we realize perfectly that
10 portrait in word OF pigment can
do justice 10 the infinite because
CT the nniteness OF the artist OF
brush. pen, or tOngue-we are
nevertheless striving TO make real
our conception Of the most high God
in some kind Of portraiture in our
Imagination if not in the material
art.
Perfect Expression.
THE most perfect expression Of
God was in Jesus Christ who talk
ed so aIuringly. concerning the
qualities Of the most high, that
men cried out. show us the Father
and it suficeth us. In reply 10 this
Jesus said. 'He that hath seen Ne.
hath seen the Wather. We are frank
and sensible enough not 10 credit
Jesus with saying that God was
identified with his material body;
We should more nearly understand
Jesus had He said. Cod is of like
character with Myself. This IS es-
sentially what revelation means, it
is a showing forth of God by Him
self. or a discovering Of Himself to
man in his real essential moral ana
spiritual characteristics.
"He who shows the character Of
Jesus Christ. knows the character
Of God. The bset portraiture Of the
Father. OF our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ-will be found not in
artists pigments-but in the re-
cord Of the life of Jesus as re-
corded by the four gospels and in
the records Of Christian sanity lives
under our vision.
No Accurate Picture.
There is no accurate picture OF
the appearance Of Jesus. Though
many a canvass has been covered
with pigment by devoted artists re-
Verently attempting to portray the
Christ: we yet realize that all the
artists presentations OF Christ are
idealistic. They represent what the
artist feels AID thinks Jesus must
have looked like, not what they
know HIN GO have been: Yet / think
that were one u take all of the
various p:ssbrtati )ns OF the Christ
in art. he would find that there
are certain qualities of appearance
which are present i'm all these
ideaiistic portraits And personally
i know Of none more in harmony
with my own feeling as to the
character Of Jesus than this picture
By Holman. though we recognize
OF course that This is an Anglo
saxon face instead OF a Semitic.
The only value Of any picture OF
~ Christ is 20 make wildly real
Ta4ny of the incidents and teachings
of the Bible. Ii helps in our think
ing. But there is always the danger
that we will come 10 think in terms
OF the imagery entirely 10 the ex-
elusive OF the real. During the re-
volt Oh professionalism from catholi-
cism. pictures and images were ut
terly abolished But, personally.
think. we have gene too far. And
our protestant churches should
awaken to the need of pictorial
preservation of the scriptures as
well 9s printed and oral delivery.
our places Of worship should be
enriched II, this re0pect. ard be
made more attractive and helpful
This should cultivate greater re-
yerence and Inspire devotion. two
great needs of the church today.
But finally II we are asked what
Christ looked like we must answer.
very frankly. we do not know. But
W. shall know. for we shall see
Him as He -. Meanwhile we shall
each necc ssarily create our own
portrait . the Masters appearance.
j hope that this picture OF Hof-
MAINS will assist IN this endeavor.
Let as remember that purity
% heart is always 4he condition of
seeing God. And tie best way TO
insure accuracy OF portraiture rs to
1--we close 10 Jesus Christ studying
deeply the record OF his life. striv-
ing % become like him i'm character.
that We may have greater clarity of
vision IN the world ahead III YOU
have really seen Jesus Christ, YOU
have seen the Father"
Tho evening service vas in the
nature OF the Pleasant Hour" un-
der the leadership OF Carl Post.
The theme for the hour was How
Home Missions are Blessing our
NatiOn." and was interestingly and
instrucuvely presented.