Marble Heads

When I was in Florence I had the wonderful opportunity to see the sculpture of David by Michelangelo. It is situated in a hall so when you turn the corner you see it in all of it's brilliance. David stands 17 feet tall. As I walked toward the sculpture I noticed other sculptures on the side. One is stuck inside my head. It is of a man who looks as if he is trying to pull himself out of the marble. It is one of the unfinished sculptures of Michelangelo, his torso partly free, his left arm reaching up to the block of marble that should have been his head. The arm is powerfully flexed but in all the years he hadn't made a lot of progress. I was under the impression that he did it on purpose. It seems like he was showing us what he, as perhaps the greatest marble carver, could see. It was as if Michelangelo could see the man inside the marble and was knocking off what didn't belong. Anyway, it was very moving to me partly because I feel much more like the guy trying to pull his head out of stone than I feel like David. I want to be like David and of course if I can't be like David the next best thing is for people to see me like David. David stands in a magnificent pose of strength and poise. He is a man who stands with his sling (and that is about his only article of clothing) and is completely relaxed in who he is and what he can do. I, on the other hand, am much more like the poor schlepp who is trying to pull his head out of a block of rock. My only hope is the Artist knows what He sees and He hasn't finished yet. Perhaps the man in the marble has struggled long enough to do it himself and will welcome the pain of the chisel. I know I want to be free and I know my only hope lies with the One who not only holds the hammer and chisel but also knows exactly what I will look like with all the rock knocked off. So, here is a prayer for all of my fellow marble heads who long to be free. Dear Father, Do what you must. Let the hammer fall and the chips fly. We want to be set free by your grace and by your power. We do not expect it to be painless but we long to smell the dust of progress deep inside these souls that are part living and part hard and lifeless as rock. Thanks for not leaving us unfinished. Amen