By Dr. Charles Killian
One of my favorite stories is about two men, both Italian sculptors and contemporaries: Donatello and Michelangelo. One day, Donatello received delivery of a huge block of marble. After examining it carefully, Donatello rejected the marble because it was too flawed and cracked for him to use.
Rather than struggle back to the quarry, the quick-thinking haulers decided to deliver it down the street to Michelangelo. After all, he had a flaw, too. He was known to be a little absent-minded. He might not realize that he had not ordered a three-ton block of marble.
When Michelangelo inspected the marble, he saw the crack and flaws. But he also saw the block as a challenge to his artistic skills. It became a personal challenge he could not pass up. He accepted the block of marble that Donatello had already rejected as too flawed and too cracked.
Michelangelo proceeded to carve from that seemingly useless block of marble the statue of “David,” considered to be the world’s greatest art treasure. Several years ago, Jane and I stood in the presence of the masterpiece and were overwhelmed by its incredible magnetism; we were standing in the presence of greatness. I am glad Michelangelo accepted that piece of marble a few hundred years ago and that it still stands in the Academy in Florence, Italy, where hundreds come daily to be awed by it.
We all of us are ‘cracked’ and ‘flawed’ in one way or another. Instead of discarding the whole wild lot of us, mercy and grace took a look and said, “I can use that.”
Is this an archival document is it freshly written by Dr. Killian, my teacher years ago. His wife’s name is Jane.
This article was written recently by Dr. Killian!
Brilliant, as usual, Dr. Killian. Thank you for that perspective.
Praise the Master for His mercy and grace I do not deserve.
So sorry,
Michelangelo and Donatello were not contemporaries. Donatello died in 1466 about 9 years before Michelangelo was born in 1475. Donatello had started the sculpture of David but did not finish. Michelangelo later finished said sculpture.
See also https://www.britannica.com/story/how-a-rejected-block-of-marble-became-the-worlds-most-famous-statue
– dedicated to the truth…
Dr Killian is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever heard. I heard him several times in chapel while I was at Asbury Seminary. “Rags” was my favorite. Upon hearing it I went to the bookstore and bought Walter Wangerin’s book. That was 40 years ago, and Wangerin is still my favorite author. 2 other stories I remember were, “Strawberry” and the elevator operator taking people to heaven and hell. What a gift he had.