I had wondered whether I might ask some of the people on the streets if I could draw them, thinking that I wanted to show that they had value in God’s eyes as human beings. It took a while to get enough confidence to pluck up courage to ask one or two of them. I wondered if they would tell me to f. off. But those I asked were quite happy for me to do this. I think they welcomed someone who would sit on the pavement with them for half an hour or so and pay them attention.

I had thought that I might follow this up with a visit to one of the places that does meals for homeless people; and that very week three of the students who work for the Grassmarket Project came to the Church I go to to tell us about it. So I arranged with them to go down one Monday evening and do some sketching.

I worked up the sketches I had done of the people on the streets. Then as part of my course I went to the Modern Art Gallery and did some studies of pictures there, including a brightly coloured face by the early twentieth century Expressionist painter, Jawlensky. I liked this and started to work on my sketches from the Project in a similar style. I was aiming for two things: to show these people in a positive light; and to present these pictures in something like the style of icons.

When I went back to the Grassmarket Project to do some more sketching I met the Field Worker, David Todd. He was delighted with the pictures I had done because he was planning an exhibition about the work of the project and plans for the development of the Kirk House. I appeared just at the moment when he was looking for material.

Hence this exhibition which you will be able to see in the Kirk from 17 September to the end of October. The church is trying to do something toward the feeding of the hungry, because Jesus says, "If you do it for the least of these my brothers and sisters you do it for me." I hope too if you like the pictures Jesus will also be able to say, "If you see my face in the least of these - - - you see me."