Life-sized Jesus Christ statues will go on display throughout the streets of Sydney, Australia, beginning Tuesday to coincide with the opening of World Youth Day.
The 33 fiberglass sculptures, each a little over 5’7’’, are part of an art exhibition called JESUSWALKS, according to Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph. More than 40 Australian artists, from a wide range of religious backgrounds, helped design the statues. The artists include Catholics, Protestants and non-Christians.
Some of the Australian designers draw on local culture for inspiration. Artist Teho Ropeyarn, for instance, decorated Jesus’ robes with colorful designs from Torres Straight Island culture off the coast of northern Australia.
Other artists use graffiti, digital media, and print-making techniques to decorate the Jesus statues.
The exhibit’s goal is to “demonstrate the connections between young people as pilgrims, young people as artists and young people in need,” explained director and curator Helena McCarthy to The Daily Telegraph.
She added that the works attempt to “engage with the idea of faith in the contemporary cultural context.”
"I thought it would be a great opportunity for young and emerging artists to have an audience of over 300,000 young people," she said.
The statues, which depict Jesus with his arms outreached, will be on display throughout World Youth Day, which takes place in Sydney July 15-20. At the end of the exhibit, the statues will be auctioned off and all the proceeds will be donated to Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off The Streets program.
The Australia-based program works with young people who are chronically homeless, drug dependent or recovering from abuse and helps them to overcome their problems and start a new life.
On Monday, a giant wooden cross serving as the symbol for World Youth Day arrived in Sydney Harbor. Masses turned out to greet the 12.5-foot cross along with a painting featuring Mary and baby Jesus as the two symbols reached the final leg of a yearlong journey through Australia.
The Catholic World Youth Day event, led by Pope Benedict XVI, is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of youths from Australia and beyond, and as many as half a million for the ending papal mass.
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Wilderness, maybe you should spend a little time venerating that "Old Rugged Cross" yourself, after all, on it hung our/your wonderful Savior. Maybe you need to humble yourself a little and spend a few moments a day in honor of Jesus' mother as He surely would have, imitate Him. Think of His words, Wilderness, not yours, when He says behold your mother, mother behold your son (John 19:26-27). These were words spoken to you Wilderness, one of the last three things Jesus said before He died for your sins. Behold your mother, this is Jesus' command! Honor her Wilderness, honor your mother. In Luke Ch 1 She tells you "All generations shall call me blessed". Have you called her blessed yet today? If not Wilderness, then explain why? Right out of Scripture, all generations shall call me blessed, so why won’t you?……Obey Her Wilderness.
Wilderness You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.
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Youth Day Conversions Begin
Cross and Icon on Final Leg of Journey
"Hundreds of pilgrims followed the cross and icon [Our Lady] as they were carried by ferry from Manly to Circular Quay, then walked with the images as they cut through the center of Sydney's central business district down Pitt Street, past Sydney Tower and down to Belmore Park.
There, every pilgrim got a chance to venerate the cross and icon, and many, including some from Texas, were moved to tears and embraced each other as others prayed and sang around them." [End quote from Zenit.org]
Such deception. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Repent, and come out from among them!
"The exhibit’s goal is to “demonstrate the connections between young people as pilgrims, young people as artists and young people in need,†explained director and curator Helena McCarthy to The Daily Telegraph."
KoneWone2, where are you getting that people are being told to worship these statues? My friend, that's your background getting in the way. Think of it this way: you're sitting next to one of the statues and an unbeliever comes up. He says "who's this?" You say "Jesus." He says "I don't know much about him" and you share the Gospel...see what these reminders are really designed to do? Peace, my friend.
KoneWone2
Calm down a little, relax, take a valium if you need to! You are far too worked up over this!
As a Christian you should be very excited that there will be a public display of Jesus Christ on the streets! This an art display, it is NOT idol worship, and it is NOT intended that way. Be excited, just think of the positive effect that this will have on people who don’t know Jesus. Just like the movie the Passion of The Christ, it will get people talking about Jesus. Use this as your chance to evangelize. Use this in the positive way it is intended, to honor Jesus, get people talking about Him, get people to know Him! Hey, have you or your church or a church you’ve attended ever displayed a Nativity Scene at Christmas? Was that idol worship in any way shape or form? No, rather these displays are an artistic way to display one of the most important moments in the history of Christianity, the birth of our Savior…AMEN! <><...
Life-Sized Jesus "Idols" to Debut on Sydney Streets
How many will bow down to them and worship them? How many will pray to them?
It is a wonder God doesn't fire down lightening bolts out of the clear blue skies and strike all the idolaters down, stone cold dead. Then great fear would fall upon Australia. Sydney is a wicked city with its blatant gay parades mocking all that is holy and godly. The whole of Australia is in the grip of sin. The Pope's visit there is only adding to it.
God have mercy on Australia. Revive your church in Australia, LORD Jesus Christ, please. Do not consume the wicked in your wrath O God, may the true, full-orbed, doctrinally sound, biblical gospel be proclaimed throughout the land. Not the false gospel of the Roman Catholic Organization. The Roman Catholic Organization is not the Church of the LORD Jesus Christ.
The Truth About Images of Jesus and the Second Commandment
Justin Griffin.
http://thirdmill.org/magazine/search.asp/keyword/jus_griffin/category/magazine/site/iiim/searchtype/articles/allarticles/1
Roman Catholicism's Recent Claim That It Is the True Church
Robert L. Reymond
http://www.monergism.com/RomanCatholicism.htm
Life-Sized Jesus "Idols" to Debut on Sydney Streets
How many will bow down to them and worship them? How many will pray to them?
It is a wonder God doesn't fire down lightening bolts out of the clear blue skies and strike all the idolaters down, stone cold dead. Then great fear would fall upon Australia. Sydney is a wicked city with its blatant gay parades mocking all that is holy and godly. The whole of Australia is in the grip of sin. The Pope's visit there is only adding to it.
God have mercy on Australia. Revive your church in Australia, LORD Jesus Christ, please. Do not consume the wicked in your wrath O God, may the true, full-orbed, doctrinally sound, biblical gospel be proclaimed throughout the land. Not the false gospel of the Roman Catholic Organization. The Roman Catholic Organization is not the Church of the LORD Jesus Christ.
The Truth About Images of Jesus and the Second Commandment
Justin Griffin.
http://thirdmill.org/magazine/search.asp/keyword/jus_griffin/category/magazine/site/iiim/searchtype/articles/allarticles/1
Roman Catholicism's Recent Claim That It Is the True Church
Robert L. Reymond
http://www.monergism.com/RomanCatholicism.htm
and I would suggest that the verse shall be from the Sundanese Christian Holy Bible for Jakarta, and Javanese Christian Holy Bible for Surabaya
Rather than this statue, Sydney can use lots more sculptures which includes verses from the Bible so that the Word of God can bless whoever pass by and read them. Then the artist can do the same sculptures in Jakarta and Surabaya.