Mona Lisa Makeover

Imagine someone walking into the art museum to do this to the Mona Lisa! They'd be arrested for graffiti, at a minimal I'm sure! Imagine the state of shock that Leonardo di Vinci would be in at such altercations to his masterpiece...., as if the way he created her is just not good enough! 

Yet everyday around the world, millions of young girls, college students, middle aged moms, and aging grandmoms apply lipstick, paint their nails, apply haircolor, enhance their body with implants, pierce their ears and endure the pain of getting a tatoo all to look more "beautiful" or just a bit younger. A little "blush" here and there....no harm done right? Besides, isn't it fun to be "girly?" Where's the harm in aiming to look 20 years younger?


Hasn't anyone ever said....you're already perfect...just the way you are! In fact, God likes you BEST without all that stuff! -You are perfect in His eyes! If He wanted our toenails purple, He would have made them that way. True beauty for the Christian is to be clothed in Christ and His Saints. looking like them! Take a look at the icons of our Church. In other words, to imitate Christ in human modesty and dress. If we are women, let us be truly women, with appreciation for our femininity and respect for our bodies. Let us reject the vanity of materialism -  and instead, teach our youth how truly attractive the Christian virtues of patience, humility and chastity are.

Let us adorn ourselves with inner embellishments of the soul, and discover beauty as God created it. Remember, our kids are watching! How will we explain that they don't need mascara, but we do?

ACTIVITY - Before revealing the lesson, pass out clear projector sheets and ask each young person to draw a self portrait of what they are wearing on that exact day. Include logos and t-shirt graphics, jewelry, make-up, hairstyles, hats, etc. Then gather them, and hold them up, one by one in front of an icon of Christ at the same approximate size 8.5x11. Ask your students.....can they see Christ through each person? Does Christ look a bit foolish with earrings? The final message is that we all bear the image and likeness of Christ and must show this to others in our appearance and very importantly, our actions. It is much easier to say we are Christians than it is to BE an Orthodox Christian.