Lost Works of Art

The students of Campion Hall in Oxford, England walked by it every day with no idea what it really was.

What appeared to them to be an ordinary painting of the crucifixion has turned out to be a priceless lost work by the great Renaissance artist, Michelangelo.

The painting had been acquired in an auction back in 1930 and no one since had any idea of its real value. It was hung in the hallway of the student dormitory for decades until this past year when an art historian discovered it.

Imagine the shock and surprise of both the students and the faculty to learn that a painting they barely noticed was really a priceless work of art.

How often did it cross someone’s mind over the years that the painting was an eyesore and should be replaced with a picture of a peaceful country scene or a calendar?

Looking at our own lives, there are many priceless treasures we pass by everyday with no thought to their true dignity and worth. They are our family members and loved ones. They are the homeless we step over on the sidewalk and our co-workers whom we try to avoid.

Imagine if we recognized each others worth and treated each other as priceless works of art. What would our world be like?

Very often we do not have to search far and wide for the priceless pearl or dig to deep to uncover the buried treasure. Like the students of Campion Hall, we are walking past it every day. We just need to be smart enough to recognize it.