Jasper, Texas, USA

♫ Joy to the world, the Lord is come.

Let Earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room.

And Heaven and nature sing.

And Heaven and nature sing.

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing. ♫

[2022]

Mobile, Alabama, USA

Unexpectedly Funny! The Church of Christ's welcome sign points directly to the "Just say no" sign. The phrase was in common usage in late 20th century thanks to the "war on drugs" mounted by the Gipper and his better half. Juxtaposition can, indeed, be amusing. [1988]

Oak Hall, Virginia, USA

Don't you love these roadside sermons? This one is well-suited for the times: mid-July to early August in Tidewater, Virginia. If heat records are going to be set, they will be set now. But, if "you think it's hot here . . ." [2022]

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Here is Chaouen's grand mosque three decades ago, before its most recent renovation. But, given that the structure goes back over 500 years, just think how many renovations it has been through. The shape and color of the portal are typical of Moroccan architecture. But, the octagonal minaret is one of only a few in the entire country. [1989]

Hartford, Connecticut, USA

 

There are no signs of religious piety here, are there? The sign is secular. However, this secular message seems to grow out of the Second Great Commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). The advice sounds like something everybody could get behind without argument. Does it remind you of some other messages? [2022]

Rhyolite, Nevada, USA

Listen up friggatriskaidekaphobes! Today is Friday the 13th. Beware! Bad luck may prevail. It certainly did for Jesus, who was crucified on a Friday. And the night before, at the Last Supper (à la Leonardo di ser Piero in this ghostly masterpiece), there were 13 guests. [2016]

Lisbon, Portugal

Merry Christmas! Maybe you've never been to Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, but you still recognize the scene portrayed in its Gothic embellishments. You find it all over the world. It's a ubiquitous emblem of the Christian faith. If you had to boil Christianity down to only 12 iconic images (for the 12 days of Christmas) which ones would you choose? [2009]

Battambang, Cambodia

From The Gulag Archipelago: "the line separating good and evil passes . . . right through every human heart. . . Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains. . . a small corner of evil." [2016]

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Odds and Evens, Ones and Twos, Singles and Doubles, Which one be You? Here is one singular, young artist whose masterpiece was so good it won a blue ribbon from the Spanish Colonial Arts Society. The setting: Santa Fe Plaza during the Traditional Spanish Market. [2017]

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

One is meditating, the other is asleep. Sleep habits differ around the world. Throughout Southeast Asia, napping takes place out in public and often in a hammock. It might be compared to the siesta in the Hispanic world, but one is public and the other is not. As for North America, napping during the day, and especially in public, is considered bad form. [2016] 

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

"When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray." Oops! Wrong religion! But Matthew's directive is probably good advice for anyone of faith. What faith is followed here? [2016]

Changhua, Taiwan

Would an American be surprised to know that the Bagua pagoda is in the Republic of China? Probably not, because our images of Asian cultures all meld together in our minds. In reality, however, this Buddhist temple is a reminder of the Japanese aesthetic. It just happens to be in Taiwan. [2012]

Foster, Rhode Island, USA

Alleluia! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!! Alleluia!!!! Four years of lies, hate, perfidy, and treason are at an end. Now, it is time to create a new future, with compassion for all, respect for science, protection of individual liberties, and a return to the "pursuit of happiness." Four years ago, the uneasiness was palpable; now we know why. [2019]

Beraban, Bali, Indonesia

Pura Tanah Lot is an active Hindu temple. It is one of seven sea temples along the coast of Bali, the "island of the gods." To each come the faithful to pray, and all are in the market for an offering fit for deities. The purchase of preference: flowers and flower petals. [2018]

Beraban, Bali, Indonesia

Sea arches are short-lived. Here you see evidence that one has collapsed, turning what was a promontory into an island perched upon a wave-cut terrace that is accessible on foot at low tide. Why would you want to walk there? Because it is the site of Tanah Lot temple, part of Bali's Hindu landscape. Remember: The religion of Bali is Hinduism. [2018]

Beraban, Bali, Indonesia

Here is an ancient Hindu temple on a sea arch. Even though Bali is a volcanic island, this bedrock appears to be limestone associated with mature karst. The arch itself looks like the roof of an ancient cave, part of a landscape that has been uplifted and attacked by waves and currents. In geologic time, sea arches are quickly erased by nature. [2018]

Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Hope you didn't take down your crèche the day after Christmas. The wise men did not arrive until January 6, which we call Three Kings' Day or Epiphany. Seems like today should really be the day of gift giving. Christmastide ended last evening, so it is now permissible to send the magi back to your attic for another year. [2014]

Taipei, Taiwan

People of Taipei: Holding themselves aloof from the world, mendicant monks in Buddhism depend on alms to survive. As he prays (not really an analog of Judeo-Christian prayers), passing pedestrians drop alms into his bowl. He shares the offerings with his order, but only clothing, food, shelter, and medicine are purchased. [2011]

Tbilisi, Georgia

People of Tbilisi: Let's stipulate that the Georgian Orthodox Church is the most respected institution in Georgia. Then, let's ask whether this priest's countenance, his beard, and his vestments (standard appearance for all priests) put a barrier between him and the world in which his flock lives. Does the Georgian church allow room for modernization? [2015]

Sparks, Georgia, USA

Roadside Sermons for Easter Week: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26. An Old Testament verse never seemed so apt than on this particular Easter Monday. [2012]