It’s a terrible 62-foot-high eyesore that cost the local cult/mega-church, the Solid Rock Church about $500,000 to construct.

Last night, a major storm blew through the area. Lightning struck Jumbo Jesus, setting him aflame.

One lucky passer-by filmed it:

And here’s a photo of the metal framework aftermath:

Words cannot express the hilarity of this and I am tickled to see Jumbo Jesus reduced to Stick Figure Jesus. Yet, I am also sad… Sad because my dreams of vandalizing Jumbo Jesus as part of a promotional campaign for LACKLUSTER WORLD are gone forever.

Or are they?

The Solid Rock Church vows to rebuild him (and probably out of something less flammable than styrofoam, fiberglass and wood this time). It’s terrible that this mega-church already wasted a half-mil on the statue and is willing to waste it again, but such is the way of religion.

When it returns, I can’t help but think that it will be a tantalizing target for every vandal in the region. With all of the big press coverage about the statue’s hilarious demise, some people are bound to get it into their head that this is something that exists solely for the purpose of being destroyed. It’s just too visible a target to ignore, and the precedent of high entertainment value has been set.

So… maybe I’ll get my promotional campaign after all. And maybe I won’t even have to do the work. And, more importantly, maybe I won’t even have to do the time.

Regardless…

I promise to stop posting weirdo religion stuff in favor of real content soon!