Our Weird Icons

Don’t know exactly what to make of this story in the news, other than it’s sheer weirdness. A gigantic statue of Jesus in Ohio was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Called by local residents, “Touchdown Jesus,” it has long been a symbol with dubious effects in the community, though surely the motives of the creators were good.

I’m reading a couple of very fine books on Jesus recently published (more about that at a later date). So this story reminds me of two things: our obsession with Jesus (how can the human race not be drawn to him?), and our wildly variegated depictions of him in literature, film, art, and highly localized iconography. The search for the real Jesus goes on.

[AP story]

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