Oleo Lord

March 29, 2008 1:15 PM

To the congregation of the Solid RockChurch, he's known as the King of Kings. But others who have witnessed his glory have other names for him: MC 62ft Jesus, Touchdown Jesus, and perhaps most famously, as immortalized by Heywood Banks, Big Butter Jesus. And he's been a very busy boy.

Built by sculptor James Lynch, he was manufactured in Florida and trucked in pieces to Monroe, Ohio where he's become something of a conversation piece (he even made the New York Times). Unfortunately, not much is know about Lynch but judging by the photo on his home page, he's no stranger to, er, dramatic religious pieces. At six-stories tall and weighing eight tons, the King of Kings is reportedly the largest statue of Jesus in the United States. Some members of the congregation believe he watches over the local freeway as well as the town. As one member of the church puts it, "Can't too much go wrong next to a big statue of Jesus."

posted by LeeJay (27 comments total)

That's not Touchdown Jesus. This is Touchdown Jesus.
posted by lumensimus at 1:32 PM on March 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

Oh. My. Lord.
posted by HotPatatta at 1:55 PM on March 29, 2008

I used to pass him many times, before I luckily got the hell out of Ohio, and I always referred to him as Fishin' Jesus, like he was saying "the fish was THIIIIIIIIS BIIIIIIG."
posted by the dief at 2:01 PM on March 29, 2008

Excellent post. Re: Touchdown Jesus, I know of several. There's a big one in the middle of a cemetery next to some townhouses in Great Mills, MD.
posted by frances1972 at 2:11 PM on March 29, 2008

The two times I've driven past, he's looked like some giant, mutant Spider Jesus because of the reflection on the lake. It's surreal.
posted by m0nm0n at 2:12 PM on March 29, 2008

But others who have witnessed his glory have other names for him: MC 62ft Jesus

I prefer MC 900ft Jesus.
posted by Afroblanco at 2:13 PM on March 29, 2008

Speaking as someone who drives past Butter Jesus from time to time, what really disturbs me is that his cross is totally not to scale -- it's really tiny (relatively speaking). So every time I pass by the thing, I think: they nailed him to that?
posted by jscalzi at 2:15 PM on March 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

There's a big one in the middle of a cemetery next to some townhouses in Great Mills, MD

Really? I might have to take a road trip.
posted by LeeJay at 2:21 PM on March 29, 2008

I've always wanted to take a road trip out to HUGE JESUS in Ohio... however, once we got there, we'd have to drive home as it's in Ohio and there'd be nothing else for us to do. Unless there's something lurking in Cincinnati or Dayton that's otherwise unknown to me of the epic awesome that would warrant the actual plan of road tripping to GIANT JESUS.
posted by Gular at 2:27 PM on March 29, 2008

Dude! Cincinnati has killer chili!
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 2:53 PM on March 29, 2008

Here's "Passing the Ball Cause He's Getting Tackled Before He Can Make a Touchdown Jesus"
posted by Science! at 2:55 PM on March 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

Hustler Hollywood is at the next exit.

The Cincinnati Art Museum is outstanding, as is it's MoMA, and the natural history museum at Union Terminal should not be missed, nor should the terminal itself.
posted by Mick at 3:00 PM on March 29, 2008

Other names I've heard for Touchdown Jesus:

Drowning Jesus
Three Points Jesus
Orchestra Conductor Jesus
Big Butter Jesus (the material looks like butter up close)
Backflip Jesus
Walk on Water Malfunction Jesus
posted by aheckler at 3:41 PM on March 29, 2008

Bird's eye view of Big Honkin' Jesus.
posted by johnjreiser at 4:08 PM on March 29, 2008

He looks like he's struggling in a tar pit.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:24 PM on March 29, 2008

Looks like I could catch this, Jungle Jims megamarket, and the Longaberger Basket Building all in one afternoon.
posted by tfmm at 7:27 PM on March 29, 2008

There's a giant Mary statue in Santa Clara that I always think of as "Our Lady of the Radioactive Breath."
posted by lore at 9:18 PM on March 29, 2008

Overhead Compartment Jesus.
posted by Tube at 9:26 PM on March 29, 2008

This is cool. Thanks, LeeJay!
posted by pineapple at 9:39 PM on March 29, 2008

I'm glad to see I-75 Jesus has his own blog now. Actually with all the flooding in that area over the past few weeks, he's been looking like this lately. It just goes to show you: if you want your giant Jesus statue to be able to walk on the floodwaters, you must give him legs and feet.
posted by Tehanu at 9:48 PM on March 29, 2008

Tehanu has provided visuals for my thought:"Not waving, drowning".
posted by Cranberry at 10:58 PM on March 29, 2008

Team America Secret Signal Jesus.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:38 AM on March 30, 2008

Looks like I could catch this, Jungle Jims megamarket, and the Longaberger Basket Building all in one afternoon.

If you like food, Jungle Jim's is an afternoon. A magical afternoon.
posted by Tehanu at 9:32 AM on March 30, 2008

Tehanu, it looks a bit like he's bringing up the floodwaters there. Eerie.
posted by mismatched at 1:10 PM on March 30, 2008

I prefer MC 900ft Jesus.

Me too, but ... flute solo?!
posted by mrgrimm at 2:07 PM on March 30, 2008

Or Big Baby Jesus.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:08 PM on March 30, 2008

ODB.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:14 PM on March 30, 2008