Jesus Christ Rises Again… As A Hot Air Balloon
Believers don’t have to wait for Easter for Jesus Christ to metaphorically rise again. Jesus Christ is physically ready to rise in the form of a hot air balloon.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s JESUS!! RT @vickybeeching: Strange, but seemingly true. http://t.co/HuPy03LTy0 pic.twitter.com/7oV9bT2Fgy
— Dwaze Schare (@dwazeschare) March 6, 2015
Jesus is set to appear on an 80-foot air balloon. According to the Washington Times, the hot air balloon is “bearing a smiling portrait of Jesus Christ familiar to many as ‘The Risen Christ by the Sea’ a painting by artist Jack Jewel.” The smiling Jesus is set to be released into the Western New York skyline some time around Easter.
So why exactly would anyone want to create a giant hot air balloon with a smiling Jesus painted on it?
Sky Sail Balloons, the creator of the “Risen Balloon,” shared with the Washington Times, “It is one of the few caricatures of Christ where he is smiling with glee. It perfectly captures the essence of the good news — that he has conquered death and has forged a pathway for every person to be saved from their sins. It shows him as the loving Lord, triumphant victor, after a gruesome crucifixion and death in payment for our sins.”
The balloon’s chief pilot and founder, Geoff Turner, is excited for the “Risen Balloon” to take flight.
Turner said, “It will be the mission of the Risen Balloon to be an ambassador to the world, presenting a friendly, heartwarming view of Christianity — and the good news.”
Turner added that the balloon won’t just be released on April 5, but that he’s hoping to take his Jesus balloon out for other special occasions.
Although he is excited for this religious air balloon to take flight, he realizes not everyone wants to see a smiling Jesus in their sky.
Turner stated, “We suspect there would be some communities that would not welcome a Christian message of any sort. Actually, it is rarely the community so much as a hypersensitive organizer looking to accommodate a small vocal group who think the Constitution insures their right to be free from the public display of any religious message.”
He also added, “Frequently, if a community speaks up in support of such displays, the naysayers shrink back into the shadows, and organizers allow a religious-sponsored balloon. We encourage you to invite us and allow us to gently encourage the grass-roots support that wins the day.”
The balloon, which will have a volume of 105,000 cubic feet and more than 2,000 yards of fabric, was referred to as “mammoth” by the Christian Post.
When Turner spoke with the Christian Post, he compared the size of his Jesus balloon to “three average sized homes in volume, and held aloft by dual propane burners each capable of generating as much heat as 600 gas grills, over 35 million BTU combined.”
While the Jesus Christ balloon isn’t for rides at this point, you can keep an eye out for a risen Jesus on the horizon on Easter Sunday.
[Photo Courtesy of The Washington Times]
