There is so much going on in this picture, I just don’t know where to begin. I was cruising around Clovis the other day because my wife had a dentist appointment over there, and I pulled up to this light to make a u-turn. This scene I captured in the photo could not be missed from any angle in the busy intersection, and as I saw and understood more of what was going on here, I basically laughed out loud. As I waited for my light to change, I rolled down the window and took this picture and as I was making the turn, I actually got strange looks.
I wanted to shout, “C’mon people! Do you see what is going on here? You’re making a generic, vague plug for prosperity in your city, while supporting Christianity and advertising windows. What the hell?!” I’m still unsure of how anyone in charge of any of this decided that posting a huge cross above a window advertisement and cheesy, bathroom-tile-fountain was a great idea? Yes, it’s central and visible, but what message are you sending with regard to other religions in your city and about Jesus and crucifixion for that matter. It’s kind of grotesque, really. Have we become so mired in capitalism, close-mindedness, and shitty aesthetics that we can’t see how gaudy and lame this is? Wait, let me answer that: yes Clovis, you have. This isn’t just an eye-sore, it’s disrespectful and truly un-American.
In the end I just laughed, thinking of this rant in my head, and imagined all my friends agreeing with me and then I imagined all the people that drive by that every day, super proud of their city, awestruck by its beauty, and thinking how that is *exactly* what Jesus would have wanted. God bless Clovis and God bless America. Amen.