This is a picture I took in my home town New Orleans, Louisiana. As you stand on the corner of Burbon and Royal street in the french quarter you can see the St. Louis Cathedral. In front of the Cathedral there is a statue of Jesus, and when the light shines on it just right you can see a giant shadow of Jesus on the church. It has been amazing to see this in person so many times, but the picture captures it just as well. After hurricane Katrina hit many areas and families, even some of my own family was left devastated and with absolutely nothing. New Orleans has come so far since Katrina and is not stopping any time soon. The city and the people in it are so strong and have battled through so much. This picture to me shows that God is watching over the city and of course all of us. I truly believe everything happens for a reason and even though this was a horrible incident I think God is watching over us. How do you view this picture? and what do you think this statue means?
5 comments:
The statue in this picture is very interesting and unique in the way it captures a huge shadow on the church. To me it looks like the shadow and the statue stand as a reminder to the city and its people that he is watching over and that he can lay down the wrath. I think it is really cool how the statue still stands and the shadow still high on the church after such a devastating hurricane.
I think that this photo is a very interesting shot. I like massive image of Jesus standing over the church. After viewing the photo, I felt like this picture showed God and Jesus Christ watching over the city. Also through the giant shadow of Jesus, I feel the strength and love from Jesus. The giant shadow almost looks as if Jesus is stretching his arms to those in need. And the fact that this photo took place in New Orleans really makes me feel as if Jesus is stretching his arm to the people who suffered tremendously. In September 2005, New Orleans and other surrounding cities endured a devastating hurricane. Many people lost family members, their houses, and belongings they can never get back. I believe that this image of Jesus restores hope with the people. After the hurricane, even though many families suffered, the people managed to pull themselves through. Furthermore, the image of Jesus tells me that God won’t let his people bear no more than they can. Now, New Orleans has come a long way since the devastating hurricane hit the city. Many of the citizens who had been forced out of the city have now moved back to the city to restart their lives. All in all, this photo makes me feel hopeful when bad situations come up. Through these bad times, we know God will pull us through. Also, I feel and imagine God’s strength and mightiness to pull undeserving people out of terrible situations.
When I saw this photo, it just made me feel safe and that God is always here to protect us. One thing that I noticed ,in the photo, is that you can't really see the statue of Jesus because your attention is focused mainly on the shadow; so the image almost says that even though we can't see Jesus physically, He is always there above us to watch and protect. His hands are also raised, to show that He is always here to lift the load off of people's shoulders who can no longer carry it, and also to carry us through the bad times.
People have always raised their hands up to God to praise and worship Him, so I feel that this image of Jesus is also reminding us to do the same through the good, the bad, and the ugly.
This photograph captures something very unique. I don't know if the shadow was planned or not, but if it was not than it makes it even more of a unique photo. It is a great reminder to the city that even though they have been through so much trauma and devastation they still have hope in Jesus. The way he is stretching his arms out symbolizes to me him stretching out his love and strength to his people. This would be a great place for some of the people that have suffered so much to go to for comfort. I just feel like this is a great reminder to everyone, and especially the people in the city of New Orleans that God is always there for us through the good and the hard times. He will be faithful to the end when we put our faith and trust in him. It is someone to lean on in the hard times when the world fails you.
I actually saw something a little different here in this shadow. While we know the city is rebuilding, the reality is the city has not been able to repair itself nearly as quickly as we might think it has. Some areas of New Orleans look like they did right after the hurricane—they still have awful ominous spray painted Xs and the creepy watermarks on so many of the houses in the underprivileged neighbors. Years later the city—at least parts of the city—still seems to be ignored. Many of the residents want nothing more than to go home, but they can’t.
I see the Jesus statue’s hands open, still asking for help, and, perhaps, prayer. I can’t help but see the shadow as a sign of hopelessness. The city is not where it needs to be. This country should be ashamed.
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