Police called on "Homeless Jesus" statue

[The_Old_Maid]

… within 20 minutes of its installation. Story here.

If memory serves, Pope Francis loved the statue and took one home with him.

(Mentioned also on CAF here and here.)

In this latest incarnation, the church that installed it got complaints from the observers that if they “really” loved Jesus, they wouldn’t put up a statue of Him. They “should” provide real benches for the homeless to sleep on. Maybe a blanket too. (As if their neighborhood, which complained in 20 minutes about a work of art, would like real homeless in the same place any better.)

 

[BornInMarch]

The people who complained about the church not installing real benches have an odd way of thinking.

“I see your good deed and raise you a better one!”

As for the police call, on one level it’s funny that the statue is so realistic that someone mistook it for a real person. On another level it’s disturbing that the caller’s first instinct on seeing a homeless man alone in the cold is to call the police so they can tell him to hit the bricks.

 

[Victoria33]

I just saw this myself. I know there is a stations of the cross guide and they show things kind of like this to illustrate the stations, “Jesus falls the first time” and things like this. It’s inspirational.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s an Episcopal church in Bay Village, Ohio. I grew up one or two suburbs over, and Bay Village is the kind of place that calls the police if someone steps on a lawn.

If there are any homeless people in Bay Village, they must be very well hidden because I really don’t even know where they would find to hang out.

Edited to add, having read the article, I’d say the statue accomplished the planned purpose of raising awareness of homelessness.

 

[EricF]

If the purpose of art is to stimulate a reaction, then it accomplished what it is supposed to do Wasn’t Jesus actually homeless most of his adult life?

 

[Beryllos]

Wasn’t Jesus actually homeless most of his adult life?

Matthew 8:20 (and similarly Luke 9:58)
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”