“Ecce Homo” is from the Latinized version of the Passion narrative in the Gospel of John.  “Behold the man” cries Pilate to the crowd, as Jesus is on trial for his life.  As most know, he was crucified very soon afterward.  This scripture is often said or sung as part of the liturgical celebration of Good Friday.  Of course God has the last laugh, so to speak, as Jesus comes back from the dead on the third day.

I was led to the following fascinating story.  In the village of Borja, Spain, in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church is a fresco entitled “Ecce homo”.  It was painted in 1930 by a local artist and by 2012 was in a serious state of decay.  Cecilia Giménez, an 80-year-old amateur artist living locally, painted over the fresco in an attempt to restore it.  Critics hooted at the result: BBC Europe correspondent Christian Fraser says the delicate brush strokes of Elias Garcia Martinez have been buried under a haphazard splattering of paint.

“The once-dignified portrait now resembles a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic, he says.”  You can read more at BBC News.   “She had good intentions” stated the city councilor patronizingly as he prepared to meet to discuss the future of the fresco.

Well, it appears that God honors good intentions, and had the last laugh in this situation.  The fresco became an Internet sensation and pop icon.  The fame garnered by the painting allowed the church to charge admission for the opportunity to view it, and the church has raised 50,000 pounds for charitable causes.  See article at The Guardian.

On a small scale, God took the foolishness of a “botched” painting to accomplish great things, just as on Good Friday 2 centuries ago God used the “foolishness” of the cross to perform a great work of atonement and our redemption.

(Full disclosure here: I don’t especially like the new version of the fresco).