Detroit gets a "Homeless Jesus"

[Lowell]

"Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz unveiled his latest sculpture depicting Jesus as a homeless man in Detroit Sunday during a dedication ceremony at the Historic Trinity Lutheran Church at 1345 Gratiot Ave, in downtown Detroit. ... The bronze sculpture depicts Jesus as a man in robe with his head bowed and his right arm stretched out." Full Freep Article and Pictures here>>


Shouldn't this be by an expressway ramp? It seems this artist with a somewhat fitting name has managed to have several installed these in cities including the Vatican. The article does not mention who covered the cost. While it is difficult to critique an artwork with good intentions, it is scripturally inaccurate in that Jesus was never a beggar.

[Enduro]

it is scripturally inaccurate in that Jesus was never a beggar.

Well, thanks to 12 years of Catholic school I can site the gospel of Matthew where Jesus said:

'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’


“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I consider myself a "Progressive Christian" at best [[atheist at "worst") but I love these statues and their message to those who would call themselves Christians but ignore the opportunities to be Christlike in their everyday lives.

[Honky Tonk]

Well, thanks to 12 years of Catholic school I can site the gospel of Matthew where Jesus said:

'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’


“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I consider myself a "Progressive Christian" at best [[atheist at "worst") but I love these statues and their message to those who would call themselves Christians but ignore the opportunities to be Christlike in their everyday lives.

Amen.... Little did you know @ the time, 12 years of Catholic education would prepare you in life for posting on DetroitYES!

[Lowell]

Well, thanks to 12 years of Catholic school I can site the gospel of Matthew where Jesus said:

'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’


“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I consider myself a "Progressive Christian" at best [[atheist at "worst") but I love these statues and their message to those who would call themselves Christians but ignore the opportunities to be Christlike in their everyday lives.

Um... a person with carpenter skills who can turn water into wine John 2:1-11 and a feed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes Matthew 14:13-21 did not need to beg.

I think if you read the whole chapter from which you quote, you will see it was Christ speaking of the righteous being judged, not about his own personal experience.

Take it from the son of a preacherman who had to read the book from cover to cover.

[G-DDT]

Yet, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." St. Paul also clarified that we had "no certain dwelling place" [[1 Cor. 4:11).

The homeless Christ image is common. Fritz Eichenberg used it in "The Christ of the Breadlines"http://www.reliefjournal.com/2015/04...tz-eichenberg/.

[Baselinepunk]

Nice placement of the coin slot.

Shoud throw a few buckets of nails through that slot.

[401don]

Very nice. Hopefully another of God's creatures, the urban pigeon, does not cometh and crapeth upon.

[Bigdd]

Um... a person with carpenter skills who can turn water into wine John 2:1-11 and a feed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes Matthew 14:13-21 did not need to beg.

I think if you read the whole chapter from which you quote, you will see it was Christ speaking of the righteous being judged, not about his own personal experience.

That's EXACTLY what I gathered from Enduro's post actually. That Christ was NOT a beggar,.. but was speaking metaphorically about how when someone gives to the needy,.. they are credited by God / Christ as if they were giving to him.

The statue is all wrong. Thought up by someone who was ignorant of Christianity as a whole, and took a piece of scripture out of context.

Something of an anti-Christain message actually. The pastor of the church should have known better,.. and not allowed it to litter their property.

I wish to give more to the poor. but am loathe to give money to someone that might spend it on drugs. I often keep organic granola bars and small bottles of water in my car,.. and give those out. Though a hot meal is much more appreciated I know. $5 not only allows a homeless person to buy a meal at a fast food joint,.. but also gives them permission to use the restaurant's bathroom. Which is a big deal to them actually. Perhaps i should take more time and tell them I'll meet them at the food place across the street and buy a few meals. What would it take,.... 5 minutes out of my day?
.

[detroitsgwenivere]

Nice placement of the coin slot.

Should throw a few buckets of nails through that slot.

Very nice. Hopefully another of God's creatures, the urban pigeon, does not cometh and crapeth upon.

Hahahahahaha... I needed that

[Wheels]

Just what Detroit needs, another Democrat!

[Danny]

In the bible Jesus became homeless after his baptism and remains homeless while him and his disciples were doing their ministry in Judea. Jesus remains homeless until his death on the cross. Because God, his father has a home for him in Heaven.

I love that statue.

[Danny]

Um... a person with carpenter skills who can turn water into wine John 2:1-11 and a feed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes Matthew 14:13-21 did not need to beg.

I think if you read the whole chapter from which you quote, you will see it was Christ speaking of the righteous being judged, not about his own personal experience.

Take it from the son of a preacherman who had to read the book from cover to cover.

Jesus did his begging, begging for lost souls to come to him. He was begging for our sins so we can have the right to the tree of life.

[Bigdd]

In the bible Jesus became homeless after his baptism and remains homeless while him and his disciples were doing their ministry in Judea. Jesus remains homeless until his death on the cross. Because God, his father has a home for him in Heaven.

I love that statue.

A billionaire that spends his / her time jet-setting between $2,000 a night hotels and luxury yachts may also technically be "homeless",... but not a beggar.

The point being,.. Jesus wasn't a beggar. Whether or not he owned a home is irrelevant.

[RickBeall]

Message wise, the statue is right. If you give money to a begger, you give money to Christ. Christ as metaphor for all the oppressed. Nothing is simpler than that.

And as for whether Christ actually begged, and begged after being on the cross, if you are worried about that in a literal sense,no one alive can now the answer.

So we just have the import of his words, the thrust of their meaning, and the built in metaphors.

[Baselinepunk]

"Message wise, the statue is right. If you give money to a begger, you give money to Christ. Christ as metaphor for all the oppressed. Nothing is simpler than that."

Something tells me that the bum at Baseline and M1, the one that takes debit and credit card donations, is the furtherest thing from "Chirst"; unless that's the name of his oppressed, poor doogie he drags to the cornor as a prop. What if I'm a Jew and give money to a beggar? Am I now funding a false profit?

Further, one does not have to be a begger to be oppressed. Oppression comes in many, many forms and affects more than those begging on the streets. It's just that this "example" fits neatly into the Western ethical monotheism dogma.

[G-DDT]

Bigdd is right to a degree about the better things to give and how to go about doing them. It's a lot more intricate than one can quickly rush into. Sure as "food and raiment" [[1 Tim. 6) is all one needs [[and it was all I needed-for I never begged-except for the rare inclimate need to hitch a ride), granola bars and socks are a good start [[and especially water during the summer heat) of something to just keep on hand. A little cache in your trunk of backpacks, shoulder bags, even a sleeping bag [[you take a chance someone will turn around and sell that sleeping bag for drugs, but I've actually seen the results, weeks later, of someone continuing to use it) are better. A nice collection of nearby resources on a sheet of paper [[though many guys on the street know these venues better than any of us) is also essential; but good luck thorough and up-to-date information from the facilities that "cooperate" freely with each other [[the Salvation Army has a very long withstanding habit of "forgetting" to tell folks of any of the Catholic services available in an area-I've seen that many of times.)

If someone is desperate enough to ask for money and you ask are they hungry and they confirm this, to which you produce three different food options they reject [[barring profound allergies), they are jivers. I've said this many of times, a majority of panhandlers are not genuinely homeless and do not represent the greater poor and homeless populace at large. You will not see them at the community meals, shelters, or social service centers. Some are indeed plants, and the more rude and out of bounds their conduct is, the more you realize they were put up to it to hurt public sentiment towards the poor [[I've seen this in Cambridge, Bloomington, Cincinnati, Madison, etc.). There is one man around Corktown and the John K. King area who dresses nice [[shoes and all hardly worn) and goes into theatrical rants and raves with nonexistent persons, but if you ask if he needs assistance, he will show you a certain fitted ring on his hand [[cue honking harmonica sound from Richard Pryor's "Which Way is Up?") and ask "Do I look like I need assistance for anything?" So, he clearly is there to sway your outlook on the poor.

You'd be surprised how many street folks will turn down assistance with a very justifiably cautious attitude [[In Madison, one self-stylize "missionary" was passing out "free bikes" to homeless folks, only to have the poor folks get arrested for possession of a stolen bike. Also, there were "Cathoilics" in James Madison park passing out food, taking folks bags, passing out condoms, and insisting folks eat the venison in a "special marinade"-saltpeter, perhaps?. Keep in mind U of W and U of M were big supporters of the eugenics movements of the early 20th century. In fact, at one point, the city wanted to ship folks out. http://www.wpr.org/bus-tickets-homel...n-appears-deadThough Soglin claims folks "misunderstood"-if one was living there at the time and knew what was really transpiring from the language on the onset, you'd know his ugly NIMBY-supported motives were quite transparent.).

Also, one has to be diplomatically cautious themselves when operating a charity. You can give pre-packaged foods, but providing home-cooked items [[even sandwiches-unless you under the umbrella of a community or church group in plain sight of all) can be used against you either by those looking to be gainfully litigious or those agents from another cause looking to shut down your charity. There was even an old Windsor McKay Rarebit Fiends comic that depicted the nightmare of a woman who watches in horror as a homeless man she feeds starts going into theatrical contortions as he claims he has been poisoned.

Charity must be done with a strategic carefulness, and it has to be tailored to each individual's needs. Many of us don't have the time to pick through the matter, as we get blind-sided by such appeals in our hectic and scheduled day-to day rigors. I carry a tackle box in my car full of various motel soaps, nail-clippers, small flashlights, lotions [[that is always a biggy in Detroit), and other hygiene products for such events.

[G-DDT]

Whether Christ "made himself poor" for us [[even more so, God listening to everyone's complaints "well, you're God, you don't know what is it is like down here", and now able to say "correction. I did live as you folks. I lived as a hunted outcast among the criminals, hermits and wild animals in the deserts. Even though I was incarnate as much as a mortal body can hold the 'full measure of the spirit', I still needed to eat, go to the bathroom, stay warm at night, and take a break from the hoarders of people hounding me relentlessly just so I can get some necessary rest, and I still had a sense of a humor enough to pretend I was sleeping in a boat in the middle of a storm while my faithless disciples are all 'boo hoo, were all doomed. Doooomed!'. I suffered betrayal, abandonment-except for some of the ladies, that's why they were lucky enough to see me risen first-,falsely accused, humiliation, torture, paraded around, and strung up for everyone's cathartic blood-thirsty delight. Yet, I still loved them.") or whether [[less likely) he was the travel worn "Man in the Suitcase" remains arbitrary; a critic could argue "well, whatever he did, he knew it would all work out, because he always had a handle on things" [[which begs the issue of why he despaired like he did in the garden or why such an intelligent being as the devil even attempted to try and tempt him.).

He still was taken in occasionally by supporters [[at least two Pharisees and counselors were on his side, along with a centurion or three). The most popular being "that family from Bethany" who were wealthy [[enough to have a private grave, mourners, and expensive alabaster containers of ointments), popular, and just as despised as the Kardashians of that day. Folks thought leprosy was too good for them, but Simon, Mary [[possible Magdalene), Martha, and Lazarus [[possibly the rich man who approached Jesus concerned about the afterlife-possibly because illness was upon him) took him in, and Lazarus's resurrection [[humbly clothed in a linen cloth) was too pronounced in society of that time to write off, thus, he was proof of Christ's divinity [[he was the only other one sought to be arrested for the sake of cover-up; this was addressed in "Last Temptation of Christ", but God forbid that be a movie done by a man who studied to be a priest.).

That all said, part of Christ's mission was to feed and clothe [[sure as another who proceeded him lived as a "voice crying in the wilderness"-also as "one who chose to be poor"?-laid out what must be done if one has two coats or food.), it was unmiraculous in a phenomenal sense. It is arduous, thankless work that never gets done. Yet, it was part of their missionary work [[minister means one who "attends to the needs of someone"). Sure miracles and healings get recorded, but these things were accepted with out saying. To further their mission and to ease others, it was also a given that they would take up a collection to be used [[not for lucre-sake) for such.

One great [[if not crucially and strategically depictive) irony of all was putting the worst most money-minded [[not the tax collector, Matthew/Levi mind you-he was the equivalent of a telemarketer or phone agent calling to remind you your bill was due, thus, so despised at that time.) person in charge of treasury. At the Last Supper, when the betrayal went down Judas Iscariot was told "to do what he will", and the disciples naturally assumed Jesus gave him an injunction to go and assist the poor during this Passover season. Why was this naturally assumed? Because it was business as usual conduct for them and their ministry at that time [[as a side note, you can always spot Judas Iscariot in the Last Supper-as in some stained glass works I've seen- because he was the "one with the bag". Even prior to the money acquired at the betrayal, typical of much of the sinful nature of men put in these positions, Judas was most likely embezzling what bits he could from the collections they took up and cache-ing them in various secretive spots in their travels [[buried under a tree, lagging behind the others to lose a brick from a wall he knows about and squirreling some coins in it before placing the brick back.).

[G-DDT]

Interpretation-wise, it is not sensible to go about the same stringent systematic route [[as many fundamentalists do, which will eventually paint them into a corner and will eventually begat contradictions.) when analyzing scriptural text. Though some routes are just plain too esoteric, far-flung, and preposterous to even be considered [[ie. Bible Codes, numerology, or again, the same stringent Fundamental interpretations that insist a strained continuity in metaphoric symbolism used-much like issuing out a Lil' Orphan Annie decoder ring that has all the language ciphers hardwired to a "A=X always" premise.) and thus, "corrupt the simplicity of the scripture".

That said, some scriptural messages given have an interesting occasional nexus of issues and topics tackled while overlayed up on themselves in that one particular teaching [[for example, it's not in any way necessary to the point of the narrative to know which direction the ill-fated traveler was going in Luke 10, but later on, it is a tidbit that comes up and helps squash the criticism as to why the High Priest and Levites naturally didn't "touch a possible dead body". That's just how thought out Jesus' parable were.).

With the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, it is both a story of judgement and conduct [[soteriologically speaking, "being good" does not get one into heaven, despite the pigeon interpretations of secularists and biblically illiterate C & E Christians. Yet, faith without works is dead, and St. Paul asserts them more than anything. When one considers the injunction that "to he who has been given much much will be required"-and that can mean money, time, effort, resources-only the lucky .001% who get a death bed conversion are exempt here from this, but for those of us now who have much of this to go by, we had better apply these things to the betterment of others undeserving). We are asked to give and not to expect anything in return [[nor give with fanfare and oversized checks to expect good PR. Also, not to use charity as a cunning device to rope one into something.).

Also, charity [[as with John the Baptist's injunction with the "two coats", "The measure you've been given", or the Widow's mites, etc.) is to be done with strategic proportion to what one has to offer. This is expounded more in the 8th chapter of St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians [[and completes what Jesus and all the Bible asserts about "loving others as yourself". Thus, take the beam out your eye-whatever it may be-before attempting to dislodge a speck out of someone else's eye.)-to not let "other people's wants be a burden on your need".

Too many times, someone gets a starry-eyed enlightenment [[be it Christian or otherwise) after a severe existential crisis, disillusionment, or trauma [[rooted in great self-doubt or self-disappointment) has affected them. In this susceptible and selfless state, they may just up and want to "give away all of their possessions". Selfless and honorable as this is, it is thinking of an unsound mind, and it is not something the Bible asserts, as there are needs we must realistically upkeep. Even those things that are "just, beautiful, and true" are asked to be held onto. To live as a Christian who shuns materialism is a very honorable [[and personal) choice one can make, but the Bible warns of those who burden, demand sacrifice, or spy out one's liberties [[remember, we are asked to "use this world not to abuse it"), and anyone asking for one to "turn over one's possessions" is operating as a cult.

The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man [[probably used to aim a sort of "over-the-shoulder" message at one particular young, rich Lazarus out in the crowd listening.) depicted Lazarus as a beggar. Even St. Francis was depicted as coming from a wealthy family only to be among the beggars. Rather than give coins to a beggar, Peter and John healed the guy in Acts of the Apostles chapter 3.

I am not a fan of street begging [[though seeking assistance from charity operations, I do encourage. As a former recipient of Food Assistance programs, I was a rare breed of recipient who "ate every dollar of his foodstamps"-especially as was needed for someone with massive food allergies-and a blood sugar condition to boot-that many community meals could not accommodate or in a timely fashion.). One runs a risk of just enabling the habits of those resigned to their obliterative hedonist state of dissipation. They don't care who they burden or how they make the greater community of invisible and hard-working poor [[who have to huslte about from one side of town to another just to stay afloat) appear towards others.

Yet, the poor will always be with us, and we should do what we genuinely can for them [[not involving imprisonment, processing, or putting them in a medical straight jacket subculture as Boston does.) to help them regain their self-empowerment at their pace and at what best suits them. Immediate needs will have to be met, so I ask all not to be cold-hearted towards the poor. You may see one walking in a shambles [[with torn plastic bags) or with beat up shoes and that old hockey bag in the trunk in your car or pair of boots you got around may just do the trick. For I'm no believer in "lost causes" [[otherwise, I'd have given up on Detroit like so many competitively ambitious, callous, and shallow hearts did long ago).

Thank God for the bridges that carry us across.

[Bigdd]

A lot of stuff there G-DDT.

I hear you about the home cooked meals being a liability issue.

Also,.. thanks for the socks suggestion. I've heard that before on a local newscast.

Every once in a while a father and his daughter or wife stop by near my business and hand out cooked meals. He did well in life and spends his time helping the poor. They have a church license or whatever that they operate under.

I suppose it's the easy way out,.. but in the past I've just written them a $200 check.

I saw them last week as I was rushing out to a meeting. I hope to see them again soon,.. I haven't given them anything this year. I think they were in a silver van this time. Last year it was a Corolla or the like.

Bless their hearts. He's a 50 ish white guy,.. and the daughter is a gorgeous young lady,.. I think she's attending law school in New York now. It must have been his wife with him the other day. Not many in their position would be down in Highland Park, handing out food in the hot sun.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

A lot of thought in these posts.

Personally, I fully accept and like the Christ the beggar-as-metaphor scenario. Except that I would extend it further: giving to a beggar, literally putting money in their hands, is very rarely actually benefiting the individual. Money and time are better spent on aid like soup kitchens or charity services. If you really want to help in the moment, give food or a tangible item [[blanket or hat & gloves) that might be needed. Money donated will so often be reinvested in vices shortly after donation.

It is a well-intentioned bit of malarkey to imagine people on the street are just a few dollars short of returning to a normal life. There is so often substance abuse, mental illness, or PTSD. Giving cash to a street beggar helps none of that, and likely also does not wind up putting food in their stomach or a blanket over their shivering body.

[archfan]

Am I now funding a false profit?

That's the best typo I've seen all week.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Hilarious. Took me a second. Type or wit?

[Baselinepunk]

That's the best typo I've seen all week.

Ding Ding Ding!!

archfan got it.

Vanna - tell'em about the chicken dinner ....

[jackie5275]

This isn't the first time Detroit had a Homeless Jesus statue. One was here a year ago. http://www.freep.com/story/life/2015...roit/27390465/
I didn't see any hoopin' & hollerin' then. Why is it an issue this year?

[archfan]

Homeless Jesus on Jefferson: http://tinyurl.com/z2fhbco