Defaced

I will deal with all who oppress you… I will bring you home… and restore your fortunes before your eyes.”
-Zephaniah 3:19-20

Turkey is covered in Christian history. Literally. Bethany and I spent two weeks in May exploring biblical Asia Minor, and one of the most remarkable things we found was the cave artwork that the early church used to decorate their worship spaces. Dating back as early as the third century, these paintings (called frescoes) were artistic depictions of biblical stories and characters, as well as contemporary church leaders and saints from the region. Because they were painted inside carved caves in a dry desert climate, many withstood the test of time and offer a mysterious glimpse into some of the earliest Christian communities in Cappadocia, Ephesus, and Galatia.

But wait—there’s a dark side.
Most of the frescoes haven’t actually survived intact. Despite being protected from weather and light, the ancient painted characters faced a force far more destructive than their artists could have imagined 1,700 years later: teenagers.

Since many of these cave churches were unprotected until recent years, a local hobby among some Turkish young people was to sneak into the caves, hang out inside, make fires, goof around—and unsurprisingly, deface the paintings. Today, most of the cave paintings are protected tourist destinations with proper security. But the damage has already been done.

We saw many defaced paintings while exploring the caves. But what struck me over and over again was how literal the “defacing” actually was.

Each time we encountered a painted figure, the story was the same. On each ancient body, the eyes had been scratched out. And on many, the rest of the face as well. It was strange, even disturbing, to look at these faceless figures—or at faces with hollowed-out eyes.
If that sounds creepy, it totally is.
I’ll admit: the artwork had less meaning when I couldn’t see the faces.
And that was the moment for me.
It was noting the connection between destroying and “defacing.” And in that moment, I sensed God whisper something:
This is how so many made in my image are being destroyed right now. They are being defaced.When we look someone in the eyes, we are given the ability to see them as equals. This is how compassion grows.
When we avoid someone’s face, we can far more easily ignore their suffering.
And when someone wants to dehumanize others, they don’t let people see their faces.
They don’t let their stories be told.
They paint pictures of faceless people so they can be seen as second-class humans, no longer important or worthy of attention.
Nothing to see here.
They stop talking about people as individuals, and start referring to them in broad strokes:
Criminals. Illegals. Not like us.

Friends, defacing is happening right now.

We live in a time when many of our government leaders are actively defacing people. It's always been this way, but we're at another tipping point. Their destructive lies, labels, and attitudes are chipping away at vulnerable lives of immeasurable value. I am seeing it happen in my own community.

We must restore their faces.
We must learn the names of the citizens and non-citizens who are being treated as less than human.
We must tell their stories and re-affirm their dignity. 
We must refuse to see fellow humans as undeserving of mercy or compassion—no matter what we are told by those in power, especially when their faces have been intentionally removed from our sight.

And we must be wary of those who are defacing themselves—hiding their own faces as they do this work:
Becoming less human in order to act less humane toward others.
I pray for them too.

We are no longer in the realm of policy.
We are in the realm of cruelty.

I wish I knew the most effective way to respond. I know it can’t be despair. And it certainly cannot be violence. The way of Jesus compels the church to hold onto its posture of advocating for those on the edges of society, and proclaiming the worth and dignity of every person.... just like Jesus did. 

It must involve choosing to see the faces of those who are suffering.
We have to help each other not look away—and not allow dehumanizing labels or our own comfort lead us into silence.

May we, as Jesus people, re-face others.
May we look people in the eyes, see their whole story, and not turn our own faces away.
May we understand that God’s grace and dignity do not follow along walls, borders, races, records—and neither should ours.
And may we have eyes to see Jesus leading each of us to show up for those whose faces are being erased, terrified of what tomorrow holds. 

Lord, keep all of our eyes intact so that we may truly see the faces of our neighbors.

Peace,
Keith

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