No one knows the physical description of Jesus Christ

The other day I was involved in a "religious"discussion with a friend of mine and during our conversation, he made mention of the fact that no one knows the physical description of Jesus Christ and that he figured that different nationalities of people probably saw Him as looking like them. I told him that it didn't make any difference to me what He physically looked like and that I believed that is the reason the Bible doesn't tell us what he looked like. What, with the way that man thinks, we'd attach either way too much importance on His physical appearance or be prejudiced if we knew he looked like us. I reemphasized to my friend that I did not care what He physically looked like as that wasn't the important thing about Him.

Having told you about that recent conversation, I'd like to mention something else that I hope can be adequately related to it and then both of these items can be combined to bring about a spiritual lesson.

My second item is that February is observed here in the U.S. as "Black History Month." Now I'm not black, but I do have a personal connection to the observance of this month. As you've no doubt noticed during the course of this month, many well-known people of African-American descent are mentioned and their accomplishments and contributions to society are pointed out. I'd like to "point out" one particular individual and his accomplishments and in so doing, show you why I have a personal connection to our observance of Black History Month.

The African-American person that I'm going to tell you about is probably not known to most of you reading this. He's certainly not as well-known as many of the ones mentioned during this month's celebration, but to me personally, his contributions, not only to our society but to the whole world, are the most important. The man of whom I'm speaking is Dr. Daniel Hale Williams who was an African-American born in 1858 and died in 1931. Here is how and why his life connects to mine and why I'm so grateful that this man walked among us.

First, in the way of a short biography, he was one of seven children and he was basically abandoned at a young age by his mother when his father died unexpectedly. He rose from those humble beginnings to become a renowned medical doctor and some of his accomplishments include the founding of the first non-segregated hospital in the United States. He established the first school for the training of African-American nurses. He was appointed to the post of "Surgeon-in-Chief" of Freedman's Hospital in Washington DC by President Cleveland.

And there were other accomplishments by Dr. Williams but the one that ties his life to mine is the accomplishment I'd like to tell you about now. In February 2003 I underwent open-heart surgery, having a 6-way bypass procedure that was obviously successful as I'm here writing this editorial today.

The reason that operation was a success is because the procedures used in my surgery can be traced directly back to Dr. Williams. In 1893, in Chicago, Illinois, he performed the first successful open-heart surgery where the chest cavity was opened and a stab wound to a man's heart was sutured together and the patient lived. The procedures established by Dr. Williams set the standards for internal surgeries from then until now. So there is my connection to Black History Month and I'd like everyone to know about Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and his contributions to society.

Now let me get a little more personal here. I am truly impressed with the life of Dr. Williams, what he overcame to accomplish the great things that he did. The fact that he happened to Black, to be an African-American, makes no difference to me.

When they lifted me onto that operating table I did not care nor did I take one thought as to what the skin color of my surgeon was. I just wanted him to be sufficient to the task of saving my life. And I believe that he was that because of the procedures and standards established clear back in 1893 by Dr. Williams.

Now let me see if I can transfer the thoughts in my head to some words here on paper and thereby formulate a lesson for us. In the same way and with the same thought processes I had in my conversation with my friend and my thoughts regarding Dr. Williams, I don't care one iota what Jesus Christ looked like while on earth as a human being. His "physical" attributes makes absolutely no difference to me. What does make the difference with me is His "spiritual" attributes.

Just as I trusted my physical well-being to the abilities of the surgeon who performed the operation on my heart and thereby saved my temporal life, I trust the omniscient and infinite abilities of Jesus Christ to save my eternal life. I believe that, by being obedient to His Gospel, the operation He performs on my soul will be that which cleanses and saves it.

Yes, as we bring February to a close, I feel a connection to Dr. Williams and his accomplishments and the matter of his skin color matters not as far as I'm concerned. His being there and his abilities is what matters to me.

At some future time, I don't know when, my life will come to a close. When that occurs, what Jesus Christ my Savior looked like while on earth matters not either. His having come here, sacrificed His life on the cross and arose from the grave is what matters to me. Because of that, I know that if I remain faithful to Him, when I proverbially occupy that "operating table" I have no doubt about the outcome of the "operation." My soul will wake up in paradise.

Ron Covey