These days the church doesn’t command the same respect as in previous generations. This is not surprising, given the stories of abuse by some of its representatives. Sadly, there have always been people whose actions have betrayed Jesus, rather than revealed him. But that shouldn’t blind us to the true nature of the Gospel which tells us that: “God so loved the World that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Our spiritual wellbeing requires us to look beyond the counterfeits to the reality. Otherwise we might become like that tourist, whose reaction to the Mona Lisa was: ‘Well, I don’t think it’s all that special.’ To which the attendant, standing nearby, replied: ‘Madame, you are not judging the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is judging you.’