Beyond The Barrio: Wholey Shit! It’s Big Butter Jesus

The only thing we love more than Jesus? Bathing in a large vat of room-temperature butter. Well, imagine our delight when he learned that, just north of Cinicinnati, there’s a 62-foot high statue of Our Lord and Savior that has the distinction of being nicknamed “Big Butter Jesus.” It’s not because he’s such a huge freaking fatass, but because of his delightful off-white color. He guards the front of Monroe’s Solid Rock Church, exploding from the earth like a delicious zombie dairy deity:

Enormous flea markets on both sides of highways at this exit make for large weekend traffic jams. Traders World is right next door. But Jesus faces west towards I-75 — highly visible — and you’d be crazy not to get off at the first off-ramp to worship and snap a photo.

The Big J. is a symbol of devotion for the congregation of 3,000 at Solid Rock, a nondenominational mega-church. Pastor Lawrence Bishop presides; his wife Darlene also founded the church and she evangelizes with her own tidy set of ministries. You can buy Darlene’s new book, “Your Life Follows Your Words,” or hear the Fire Choir “Worship on Fire” to get a sense of what you’re missing inside.

Outside, artist James Lynch was commissioned to render a fiberglass and styrofoam over metal frame depiction of Christ after the Resurrection looming over the Baptismal Pool. The figure was completed in September 2004.

And on the eighth day, God created BUTTER! Oh, our hearts are so very filled with the love of Jesus. And fatty deposits.

Heaven-bound: Giant Jesus Statue [Roadside America]