Thursday, November 5, 2009

Images of Jesus and Mary

An image of "Jesus" has appeared once again. This time on the window of Jim Stevens' truck in Johnson City, TN. It is interesting that when these images suddenly appear in a pizza, a loaf of bread, or some other such material, they always look like a popular painting of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. In addition, they are always Caucasian, not Middle Eastern or Jewish. Kind of like flying saucers. There are no pictures of Jesus and Mary, and we have no idea if alien visitors would choose to build a craft that we earthlings conjured up in the 1930's or so.

Several years ago we lived in Conyers, GA. For a number of years there was a lady who made her living periodically talking to the Virgin Mary. She would announce her next "vision" day and people would come from across the globe to be there when she emerged to expound upon what Mary had told her. Thousands would converge on Conyers, bringing in a good income to businesses, not to mention the vision lady. One creative entrepreneur came up with a great bumper sticker, "Come to Conyers, Eat, Drink and See Mary." Eventually, I suppose, everyone figured out what most thinking people already knew, and they came no more.

Does all this remind anyone of today's political climate? Are Beck and Limbaugh, Hannity, and others those vision people, and their followers the vision seekers? As those who go to see the images and hear the visions, the followers of these people are desperately seeking what they want to believe. The prestidigitator's conjure up the answers and the riches continue to pile up, while the vision seekers nod their heads in a zombie-like trance and say, "Yep, I knew I was right all along."

3 comments:

That Baptist Ain't Right said...

The theology of all the "Jesus SIghtings" is certainly suspect, but I won't get into all of that right now. The political climate, however, is reminding me more & more of the extremism that overran Germany in the 1930s. As Sinclair Lewis said: "When Fascism comes to America, it will be draped in the flag & carrying the Bible."

Doug B said...

I agree with Baptist. And never was I more worried about Fascism in America than under President George W. Bush. Those guys are ready to "retake" our country next time. Scary.

Diane J Standiford said...

I agree with both above commenters. I can't say I didn't expect this backlash, or powering-up, but expecting and watching from afar makes it no less scary. "...draped in a flag...carrying a bible" Indeed.