Making the Invisible Visible
by Katie Harding on July 10, 2023
Some people have the ability to make the visible invisible. By ignoring, looking away from, or hurrying past individuals, we can make others seem invisible. Pretending at times they don’t exist. Yet others, including many children, have the unique capability of doing the opposite, making the invisible visible. They notice people — all people. During our eldest granddaughter’s recent stay, we discovered she is one of the latter.
On her bucket list this year was a trip to the Museum of the Bible. Since The Horse and His Boy was playing in their World Stage Theater, we purchased tickets to see it, as well. At intermission, our granddaughter scurried with her wallet in hand to the theater company’s display table to make a donation, as that enabled her to receive a backstage pass following the show. At the conclusion of the production, we moved to the front row to join other pass holders and then onto the stage to meet the characters and “puppets.”
The puppets aren’t what you normally think of when you hear that word. They were life-size animals — horses, a lion, a cat, and a raven — operated by teams of individuals supporting the frames with their bodies with others walking alongside to manipulate the heads. It’s an incredible form of creative engineering and directing that makes them seem so real and believable throughout the entire show.
Once on stage, our young pre-teen approached two women in beautiful gowns for their autographs before posing with them for a photo. Then she moved onto another character and another before doing what took everyone by surprise, especially the puppeteers themselves. She asked for the autographs of not only those moving the heads — those we could see, but also those unseen — those enveloped by the forms of the animals. Even though nothing more than their legs and feet were seen throughout the entire production, she understood that they, too, were an important part of the cast. She saw them and acknowledged their value by requesting their autographs. You could tell by the way they had to figure out how to sign their names while still supporting their structures that this wasn’t something usually asked of them. Being unseen, even during the backstage event, they are often overlooked. But our granddaughter let them know that even though they might be “invisible” to many, they were quite visible to her.
Jesus saw “invisible” people as well, especially those whom society tried to overlook or undervalue. He conveyed their worth by approaching those others would ignore, eating with those others thought unacceptable, and healing those others deemed unforgivable. By seeing people — making the invisible visible — He changed lives. We can do the same today. As we follow Jesus, let us see others as He sees them. Let us make those invisible visible by offering His presence to the people we meet. Let us be changed women who change lives.