In the mid-1990’s Christie’s auction house in London sent out their latest recruit to undertake his first valuation. Smartly dressed in a three-piece suit and carrying a leather briefcase he duly arrived at the address in Soho. It soon became clear that it was a boarding house of some kind, with a different nameplate on every door. Finding the correct door, he was somewhat surprised to be greeted by a beautiful young lady, wearing nothing but a rather skimpy negligee. The room was dominated by an oversized bed and a large ornate mirror hanging on the wall – the item he had been asked to value. Sadly, the mirror turned out not to be antique but a cheap reproduction and thinking there was nothing else of value in the room he left.
Had Jesus been there he might have pointed out that the most valuable thing in the room was the lady herself. The Gospels make clear that among Jesus’ travelling companions were a number of women whom he had rescued from troubled pasts, including prostitutes. How lovely it would be if, like Jesus, we could all have eyes that are able to see the image of God within each person and draw it out.
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