Ohio Church Replacing "Touchdown Jesus" Statue With "Hug Me Jesus" Statue

Folks, I just had to smile at this story. I guess the Solid Rock Church in Monroe Ohio erected a statue in 2004 of Jesus from the waist up with upraised arms. They called it the King of Kings statue but locals quickly dubbed it the “Touchdown Jesus” statue. Can you at least smile at the humor? Well in 2011 the statue was hit by lightning and destroyed. So in a few weeks the church is replacing the statue with a new one. This time it is a full body statue of Jesus with arms stretched out. The church is calling it the “Light of the World” statue but already it has a new nickname even before it is erected. It is being called the “Hug Me Jesus” statue.

Here are a few excerpts from the story I found at the Christian Post.

Ohio Church Statue Gets New Nickname Before Being Erected.

By Michael Gryboski , Christian Post Reporter

An Ohio church that once had a large statue of Jesus Christ which was destroyed by a lightning strike should have a new statue in its place come September.

Solid Rock Church of Monroe is expecting to have a new Jesus statue, dubbed “Lux Mundi” (“Light of the World” in Latin) put in place of the former statue, which was destroyed in 2010 by a lightning strike.

In 2004, Solid Rock Church erected a large statue of Jesus in front of their amphitheater worship space, which was next to Interstate 75. Originally called the “King of Kings” statue, the landmark got the nickname “Touchdown Jesus” due to the arms being stretched upward.

However, in June 2011 a late night severe thunderstorm hit the area. A lightning bolt struck “Touchdown Jesus” and set it on fire. The nearby amphitheater was also damaged by the ensuing fire before fire crews contained it. No one was injured.

Lux Mundi will be a full body statue rather than the “Touchdown Jesus” which depicted Jesus from the mid-waist up, as though rising from the pond by Solid Rock. The new statue will show a standing Jesus walking with arms outstretched. In some parts of the bloggersphere, though not yet on site and completed, Lux Mundi has already received its own nickname.

“It’s ‘Hug Me Jesus,’” said Lux Mundi sculptor Tom Tsuchiya in an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-churchs-jesus-statue-replacing-touchdown-jesus-expected-in-september-80193/

Sometimes you just have to smile.

Not everything in the Christian life has to be serious. You just have to smile at a story like this. So if you needed a smile, I hope you found it and if you know someone who just needs to smile at the cute things in life, share this story with them. Maybe some day when you are driving by Monroe Ohio on Interstate 75 you will see the new “hug me Jesus” statue and you will remember this story and it will be at the time you need to feel loved by the Lord.

Blessings!

Pastor Duke