Tony Burbreck writes for NBC Charlotte on a sculpture of Jesus as a homeless man sleeping on a park bench that was rejected by some, but is now displayed in Davidson, NC:
From a distance, especially at dusk, you would swear the sculpture is a real-life homeless man sleeping on a bench in front of the church….A closer look reveals it is bronze, not flesh and bone.
Crucifixion marks in the feet offer the only clue to the man’s identity on the sculpture itself. A plaque next to it shows the “Homeless Jesus,” title and that the inspiration came from a passage in Matthew: 25.
“It’s Jesus representing the most marginalized of society,” said Rev. Doctor David E. Buck, the rector at St. Alban’s….
“We’re reminded of what our ultimate calling is as Christians, as people of faith, to do what we can individually and systematically to eliminate homelessness,” Buck said, “Part of a faith commitment is to care or the needy.”
The work includes room to sit on the bench, which makes it interactive.
The website includes a video story.
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I want one!
Kevin McGrane Sr.
A compelling piece of art, good to see a church has finally given it a place for display, and with it, hopefully, theological reflection on the plight of the homeless.
And I’m happy to see it’s an Episcopal Church in the South doing this, good for them.
Richard Warren
My two cents is that it’s appropriate for reminding people that the homeless are one of those groups Jesus told us to look after and I suspect he wouldn’t be offended. Those who are should be a bit more introspective and really ask themselves what Jesus was all about. He was a radical who didn’t mind offending the sensitivities of the establishment.
Richard Warren