As a teen, I knew more about the shroud Jesus was supposedly wrapped in than I knew about Jesus.

I grew up in a house full of books. My parents were readers, and they wanted their children to be readers as well, so they encouraged us by buying interesting books for us to read. One of my favourites came from Reader’s Digest, entitled, “Strange Stories and Amazing Facts.” It was a book about, you guessed it, Strange Stories and Amazing Facts. And one section dealt with the Shroud of Turin. As a teen, I found the entire idea of Jesus’ burial shroud being preserved fascinating. And then I met the living Jesus and found the shroud to be less fascinating.

Through the years, there has been much debate about the shroud’s authenticity. Is it 2000 years old or much younger as shown by carbon-14 testing? Does it reveal what Christ looked like, or is it just an amazing piece of pre-Renaissance art? A recent study seems to indicate the shroud could be much older than the results of the carbon-14 test.

But really, does it matter? No evidence will be enough to dissuade those who truly believe either view.

And ultimately our eternity rests not in Jesus’ shroud but in His sacrifice.

Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.