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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Look Full in His Wonderful Face
Video: Sitting before the Christ Statue
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things on earth will grow strangely dim
In the Light of His glory and grace.
Anyone who enters the Church of Holy Quest to sit before the Christ portrait has the opportunity to read this poem on a plaque to its right. It has become an integral part of this experience to contemplate the words and look deep into Christ's shining face.
The inspiration for this poem came from the writings of Lilias Trotter (1853-1928). Her life is illustrative of the mystic's deep yearning to love God above all else. Early she showed much promise as an artist, even attracting the attention of the renowned artist and critic, John Ruskin. However, she decided that she could not give herself to painting and continue to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness'.
Lilias started volunteering at the YWCA and spent much of her time in the streets of London, trying to help people that no one else would. After struggling in prayer, she felt an overwhelming call to serve Christ even telling one of her friends that whenever she prayed, the words 'North Africa' sounded in her soul as though a voice were calling her. She served for more than 38 years as a missionary in Algeria. Lilias would later find ways to incorporate her love and talent of painting with her ministering services in North Africa.