Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on rethinkingyouthministry.com and is reprinted here with permission.
by Brian Kirk
Sometimes the only way to get a different perspective on Jesus is to force ourselves to see him in a new way.
How often do we miss experiencing God in our midst because we can’t see past the routine of everyday life and our preconceived ideas? In this activity, students are challenged to meditate on an image of Christ and attempt to recreate their own version of that image as a line drawing. The catch? They look at the image upside down and draw it upside down.
Rather than trying simply to reproduce the entire image “as is,” turning it upside down challenges the artist to focus on the various shapes and lines that make up the picture. Perhaps surprisingly, even those who claim they have no skill at drawing can create vivid images when they free themselves to focus only on line, shape, and shadow rather than the entire image. (This activity is based on an exercise in the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.)
Gather a collection of images of Jesus (Do a Google image search to find various portrayals of Jesus). Invite each student to choose one of the pictures that speaks to them in some way. Challenge them to turn it upside down and, using it as a guide, attempt to recreate the lines and shapes of the image just as they see them. Tell them to resist the temptation to try to see the picture right side up in their brains as they draw and just focus on the lines and shapes. Doing so allows our brains to see things in a new way. When finished, invite the students to look at their images right side up and reflect on the experience.
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