First of all, for those of the Christian faith, I know Jesus is not a symbol of idolatry. I'm not saying that, so don't take it to be offensive. Though I think building a 22 foot statue of him is a bit much. If a church in Golden, Colorado wants to erect it on their property by the side of Interstate 70, that is their business. Still, I cannot help but laugh (and breath a sigh of relief that no one was hurt) to see a bolt of lightening take off the statue's arm from a passing storm this afternoon.
From The Denver Post:
The lightning bolt broke off one of Jesus' arms and a hand and damaged one of his feet, sending marble plummeting to the ground during a Saturday afternoon storm.
"There were pilgrims up there on the hill," Sister Ilaria said. "The biggest miracle is no one got hit with the falling debris."
The statue of Jesus, which had one hand pointing to his "sacred heart" and the other outstretched, sits atop a mountain near the shrine in the foothills of Golden. Drivers on Interstate 70 can see the statue in the hills, and at night, light illuminates the white marble.
Jesus, wearing a robe and glancing down, is 22 feet tall with an 11-foot base.
Now the nuns are considering the costs of repairing the marble edifice, who rely solely on contributions. Perhaps using those donations to help those less fortunate, the ones Jesus and other biblical figures supposedly command us to give comfort and aid would benefit more than a marble statue repairman.
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