One engaging speaker at the recent Clergy Conference showed us a picture of his friend’s mobile phone cover - an image of a traditional looking Jesus with the words ‘I saw that’ - which proved extremely thought provoking. Before you read on, think about your own reaction to those words with that image...

Some people took ‘I saw that’ as negative, a warning that Jesus sees all we do/think and say wrong, a reminder that Jesus is judging us in every aspect of our lives...

Others viewed ‘I saw that’ as positive, that Jesus sees the good in us, the kind things we do and say which others may never get to know about...

One person felt ‘I saw that’ was therapeutic - that Jesus sees the unkind acts and words that undermine us, he knows and understands the hurts we hide from others...

On deeper reflection, many people took ‘I saw that’ as a reminder that Jesus knows us through and through, our strengths and weaknesses, and loves us as we are...

that what matters to Jesus is not our success or failure but our trying to be like him...

‘I sit in my chair and allow Jesus to look at me.

In his eyes I see love’...do we?