Cleaving to the Cross

Printed in England, this Raphael Tuck & Sons "Oilette" is labeled "Easter Postcara (sic) No. 23." Used as an Easter greeting card, it is addressed to a Mrs. Adam Brown in Durham Canada. The addresser is A & GW Brown. The message reads: "How have you folks stood the winter, all well I hope. We are well. Hope you may have a fine time Easter..." The post mark over the green one cent stamp is obscured. On the face of the card at the bottom is hand written, "A Joyful Easter." The word "Faith" is also clearly visible. I think it was the name of the art compostion.

Today these turn of the century images seem melodramatic but I like the drama and tension of this one anyway. Labeled "Faith" on the bottom left, it was meant to illustrate the struggles of the faithful against the storms and tides of life. While clinging to the rock solid cross, this bride of Christ keeps her eye on the heavenly light above. In classic art the cross symbolizes suffering. To Christians, the cross is a symbol pregnant with meaning: of Jesus' suffering, of a believer's struggle and suffering in this life and the bridge of redemption over earthly sin to perfection in heaven.

Crucified Jesus Sold on Auction Block

Like an empty Easter tomb, this sculpture of Christ has disappeared.

This post card shows the crucifixion scene, one of more than 30 biblical scenes, once known as the Biblical Gardens in the Wisconsin Dell's area. The statues were carried away by an army of evangelical youth in the summer of 1997. The 3/4 scale to life sculptures were bought by the Commission on Youth Services and WELS Lutheran's For Life. The groups planned to use the biblical scenes for publicity photos, videos and dramatic displays. All the statues were purchased for $5,000 dollars, according to WELS.

Here you can find one man's account of carrying off the statues, including Jesus on the cross.

This card, published by Dells Photo Service of Dells, Wisconsin, is one of thousands documenting the tourist attractions, both natural and man-made, that awaited families from the American Midwest. The photo credit goes to John A. Trumble. The card locates the Biblical Garden sculptures between Wisconsin Dells and Lake Dalton, Wisconsin, on Highway 12. The area is a popular summer vacation destinations for residents of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.

Petoskey's Underwater Crucifix

There is one crucified Christ that endures each Easter submerged in the icy waters of Lake Michigan. Only once a year is he saved from obscurity and curiously that is usually around Valentine's Day.

Few know or will tell you where the underwater crucifix is located but it lies not far off shore from the Northern Michigan city of Petoskey. It is west of the city's picturesque waterfront waterfall, several hundred yards off shore. Despite the development and beautification of Petoskey's waterfront in the past 20 years, the location of the underwater crucifix is not marked. If you can find a local willing to tell you where it is, you can either view it by rowing a boat over it on a calm day or don scuba gear in the summer and dive to it.

The best time for viewing is winter. Once a year, usually around Valentine's Day, volunteers clear a path across the ice to the location. A hole was cut in the ice and lights placed underwater to illuminate the crucifixion in the dark waters this past year. You can find out more about the underwater crucifix by reading this article in the Petoskey News-Review, the local daily newspaper.

The crucifix was first submerged in 1962 and moved to its current location in the early 1980's. It is dedicated to all who have perished in the water. It is believed to be the only submerged crucifix in fresh water.