Big Butter Jesus Bites It

Everyone who’s driven I-71 between Louisville and Cincinnati in the last decade has seen the six-story yellow-tinted statue of Christ in front of Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio, locally known as Big Butter Jesus. BBJ, or “Touchdown Jesus” as he is also known, has been a source of both humor and controversy for years. Well, last night the Good Lord rendered his verdict on the statue when, during a thunderstorm, BBJ was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Here’s what BBJ looked like yesterday:

Here he is shortly after the strike. Apparently the huge butter-yellow statue was made out of some sort of foam, which is why it burned so well.

This is what remained early this morning, basically just a blackened metal armature. God is pictured in the background, evidently making some further alterations to suburban Cincinnati.

And finally at dawn:

I don’t know what the plans are to rebuild Big Butter Jesus, but given recent events, if I were on the building committee at Solid Rock Church, I’d think twice.

UPDATE: In June of 2012 work began on a new BBJ, however it has been announced that this time the figure will be redesigned as a full-body Christ with a single arm outstretched. Presumably not straight upward.