I had a similar feeling today as I visited the the Grotto, a peaceful Catholic sanctuary where you can reflect and meditate surrounded by nature and images of our Lord and Savior being tortured to death.
The Meditation Center itself has all the peace and sanctity of an airport waiting room. What's worse, it's got this creepy Aryan Madonna and Child in a plexiglass case that makes them look like they're trapped in an elevator.At the risk of stating the obvious, don't these Grotto people realize that Mary and Jesus were Middle-Eastern?
14 comments:
For the full hallucinatory effect, go there during the holidaze mob scene where you can browse through about 7 million nativity sets for sale, listen to costumed dudes with manic grins yelling scripture, and take a pony ride. It's like the Grotto is throwing an over-the-top kid's birthday party for Jesus. (You could work it into your play).
I've never actually been to the top of the Statue of Liberty, but I played a Japanese wedding there a few years back. I wore a dress. Bad move. I'm sure that in all of their pictures, they'll show the violinist with a skirt sandwiched between her legs to keep it from flying up in the wind. Oh well.
Hey Marc, thanks for the birthday wishez. Couple of things. What happened to New Day #98?
Need your address again so that I can mail you a NEW CD!!! YEAH!
Hi from Laying on the Couch! The names Nemo...you commented on my blog earlier on my angsting teenage rant?
I think they're the actual jesus and mary frozen in time thanks to the power of the tube
Im leaving for NYC on the 29th...so after I get there I'll put a little update...
and I WILL SO BE THERE at the reading...with my copy ready to be signed
I thought this was a photo of a woman stepping out of a shower with a baby. My thought was, "Cool, look how big her bathroom is!"
Wow. I have not been to the Grotto since I was a kid, but I totally DO remember the imagery looking more of von Trappy spring on the color wheel than of Nazareth, but do not remember The Virgin of the Plexiglass (is it just the angle, or does she have unusually long arms?). I wonder if she's a new addition?
Random answers:
Yes, Nemo, that was me.
Not sure why New Day #98 disappeared. But it's back up.
And the woman in the shower comment made me laugh out loud.
Is there some specific reason why some churches depict Mary and Jesus as such pale-skinned people? I was just wondering and it always confused me.
Thank you for the comment by the way. I really enjoyed your book How I Paid For College. High school years must greatly amuse your now.
*you
Gah. Typos.
Yes, Nemo, it's called racism.
Lovely.
Grant and I were just in a play that made a running joke out of the fact that "Jesus looks like a terrorist" (Middle Eastern not Aryan). Good times.
The Mary Statue does have really long arms.
The view is of an industrial wasteland with planes taking off and landing at PDX.
So basically this spiritual retreat has the long armed (and short legged) lady and the baby, showering for all 'travelers' to observe.
Mary & Jesus were not only middle eastern, they were Jews.
Which is why I have heard some call themselves, "recovering Catholics."
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