We published 4 stories in The Lead about Jesus the Homeless, a sculpture by Canadian artist, Timothy Schmalz, back in April. The sculpture still manages to bless and upset folks. And it has now ventured across the Atlantic in it’s first installation in Europe. The Roman Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin and the Anglican Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson blessed the installation at the Church of Ireland’s Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin Ireland. The installation was funded by an anonymous US Episcopalian.
The sculpture’s first installation was at Regis College, a Jesuit theological college in Toronto Canada. It has since been installed in a number of North American cities. Perhaps one of the strongest reactions was by a woman in Davidson North Carolina who called the police to report a homeless person sleeping on a bench in her neighborhood after the sculpture was installed at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church.
Jesus the Homeless is a bronze sculpture of a homeless person, well covered by a blanket, as they sleep on a bench. The only hint that the sleeping figure is Jesus, are the nail scars in the exposed feet.
Recently Mr Schmalz was disappointed when and installation was passed by the Oratory of the Louvre in Paris. The reason the installation was denied because the management realized the hypocrisy of hosting the sculpture while having a policy encouraging the homeless to stay off the property. Mr Schmalz states that the inspiration for his sculpture is Matthew 25.
This story was gathered from here and here.
Photo by Susan McCoy of Jesus the Homeless installation at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson NC from the ENS.
Posted by David Allen