Immense Statue of Jesus Burns

MONROE, Ohio (WDTN) - A large statue of Jesus that has been seen by millions across the country was destroyed by a fire late Monday night.

The King of Kings statue that stood outside the Solid Rock Church located on Union Road just off Interstate 75 is now in ruins. Only a few wire frames are still standing.  The rest of the story.

To be sure, the fire isn't a "coincidence", as one church member suggested.  I'm not sure the church member had in mind what I do: when you build large fiberglass objects, you risk lightning striking them and burning them to the ground.  That seems to be what happened here.

 

It might be expected by certain Christians that God would modify the laws of physics in the case of large fiberglass objects in the shape of Jesus, but apparently, in the divine wisdom, he has chosen to stick to the plan and have electricity work as electricity and fiberglass behave as fiberglass. 

 

There are exceptions to that sort of thing, of course; they're called miracles.  But it seems that for the sake of good order, human freedom, and our sanity, God has limited his display of miracles.  The special ceases to be special and ceases to stand out where it becomes the ordinary.   We can understand the master painter occasionally "breaking the rules" to make a beautiful point in a particular work, but to do so constantly would destroy the art.  Cosmos would succumb to chaos.

 

Which is not to say that Providence has no other purpose here than to make the cosmos operate according to its natural physical laws, as if God's main purpose were to keep the trains running on time. But it is often difficult to say what Providence is up to and the temptation to try to reach a definitive judgment is frequently powerful, especially in cases such as this one, where imagination, unchecked by theological reflection and humility, assumes there must be a meaning larger than "Be careful what you build and what you build it out of."

 

There may indeed be a grander purpose in the destruction of the fiberglass statue of the Lord.  But who can say?  One church member declared it a call to repentance.  Of course since most of us usually have something to repent of or to repent more deeply of, the destruction of the status certainly can be taken as a providential reminder to turn away from sin. 

 

Iconoclasts will, no doubt, see this as a divine judgment against idolatry.  Others might interpret it as a divine preference for stone.

Comments

[MargaretC]

It might reflect Divine Judgement on bad taste...

[Randy]

It might even be God's way of giving this statue more attention. Sort of like martyrdom for statues. Just because something is destroyed does not mean it was offensive to God.

[Carl E. Olson]

It does raise the pressing question: Why hasn't the flood of rotten, tasteless Catholic "art" been consumed by flames from heaven...?

[Gail F]

Best comment I've read about it so far: "Others are saying it’s simply a miracle it didn’t get struck by lightning sooner, being the tallest object for miles around." It's at this blog, which also includes a link to a homemade video of the song "Big Butter Jesus" (do not listen if you do not find the title funny):

http://www.current-movie-reviews.com/off-beat/2010/06/15/big-butter-jesus-struck-by-lightning-vido-and-heywood-banks-song-here/

I live in Cincinnati and have driven by the statue many times. It was truly ugly, and it really did look like it was made of butter. We're all going to miss our weird landmark.

[nephelometers]

I think the man upstairs is getting serious about enforcing his commandment that: "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above..

[Mark Brumley]

Gail F, you've got the best comment for my money.

Carl's comes in a close second.

Randy's is very creative.

Margaret's may well be correct, but it is hard to say.

Nephelometers, really? The Man Upstairs? Is that a metaphor or, oh no, an image, albeit verbal and conceptual, for God? Better be careful, lest your observation become a principle applied to your comment!

[Catholic Art]

there may be a grander purpose in the destruction of the fiberglass statue of the Lord.

[Dan]

Dennis Miller once showed a picture of this statue and offered this comment: "Look out, Jesus, that's quicksand!"

[Brian J. Schuettler]

Speaking of Saturday Night Live, I remember one time when Norm MacDonald was doing the news skit arounf Christmas time and he announced that Mariah Carey had come out with a Christmas album. Norm then said "Happy birthday, Jesus, O hope you like crap."

[Bill]

this was the one they called "touchdown" Jesus, so I don't mind seeing it go.