‘We cannot tolerate more attacks on our cultural heritage.’ So said a despairing official from Spain’s art conservation association, following yet another botched attempt by an amateur to restore a work of art. The arts and craft teacher called in to restore the 16thcentury wooden sculpture of St George had done their best, but the finished result was a world away from the original. Officials commented that the wrong plaster and paint had been used and concluded ‘This is an expert job and should have been done by experts.’
Well it’s not just artwork in need of restoration that requires the attention of an expert. If we’re honest none of us are as perfect as we would like to be and are constantly looking for ways to improve. No wonder then that a Google search for ‘self-help books’ produces 100,000’s of results. The problem is that all the books are written by people who suffer from the same imperfections as those they are trying to help. It’s a case of the blind leading the blind. If we really want to improve the human condition then what we need is an expert, someone who really knows what they are talking about, and the great news is that the Bible declares that Jesus is just such a man.