Someone Chained A Cross To Gay Street In NY. What Happened Next Was Beautiful.

[sheshe2]

On Good Friday, a mysterious giant wooden cross appeared on Gay Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, chained and locked to an apartment gate.


Over the next nine days, the cross’ owner would return and chain the cross to different parts of the street making it impossible for others to move it.


“To be honest, I’m a Christian, and the cross means, love, peace and hope. And it was clear the owner of this cross did not share those values,” Gay St. resident Micah Latter, whose gate the cross was first chained to, told HuffPost. “Whatever [this person’s] point, [it] was lost in translation. Their actions were pointless and annoying.”

Latter posted daily Instagram updates of the cross’ location and tried to seek help for its removal from authorities, which was unsuccessful. So, she had an idea: Why not turn the cross into a symbol of love and acceptance and take the power back from its owner?

snip

As for the cross’ original owner, Latter and the residents of Gay St. just have one message: “Sorry you can’t move the cross anymore. We added our own love lock to your chain and superglued both key holes. The Love Cross belongs to the street now, so thank you!”







More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/love-cross-nyc_us_58ff5447e4b0b6f6014ac24e

..............................

The power of humanity.

[Skinner]

1. Awesome.

[lillypaddle]

2. K&R nt

[Solly Mack]

3. K&R!

[herding cats]

4. That's beautiful!

Thanks for sharing.

[msongs]

5. technically it is litter. a saw would fix that removal problem nt

[GliderGuider]

12. This response is wayyy better. nt

[tavalon]

68. While I agree, it would have been easier

This is just so much more satisfying. And it keeps in the spirit of Jesus's acceptance of all. Well, all but the dickhead who chained the cross all over the place.

[gademocrat7]

6. Love prevails.

[tblue37]

7. K&R--especially for permanently blocking the guy from moving it. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

8. What a beautiful way to resolve a problem.

[irisblue]

9. Love won & wins

[mountain grammy]

10. Love their response..

but think we're in for some dark times ahead.. Stay vigilant.

[GliderGuider]

11. Out-fucking-standing.

Love love love it!!!!

[Orrex]

13. Now THAT'S how you cross the road

Love it!

[montana_hazeleyes]

41. Orrex....

Thank you.

[Orrex]

50. Right back at you!

[jmowreader]

14. So what is is, no one in NYC has a hacksaw?

When you chain a cross to MY fence, ownership of said cross passes to me. I am free to remove the cross, cut it into itty-bitty pieces, haul it up to 34th Street and deposit said pieces in a dumpster.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. Boltcutters would work faster. Seriously, it was "impossible" to remove?

Is it a certainty that the person who put it there did so out of hostility?

[treestar]

80. Was thinking that too

It's possible it was not meant in a hostile way.

[LAS14]

43. This response was so much better. Newsworthy!!!! nt

[IronLionZion]

15. Painting it is way better than cutting and removing

because it's newsworthy, people like us get to hear about it. People driving by will see it and feel good about the rainbow cross.

And the owner would also have to deal with a rainbow cross if and when they come back for it. If they move it to another location, it will still be a rainbow cross. So that leaves the owner having to supply a new cross each time.

Wonder if any security cameras or witnesses saw who kept the cross there.

[Iggo]

16. Aw. Are the Christofascists making friends again?

Precious little fuckfaces.

[muntrv]

17. Beautiful! The rainbow is one of God's creations.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

20. Either that, or it's the refraction of light of various wavelengths. NT

[lindysalsagal]

52. As seen and interpreted by human eyes.

To a bird, it's a tree. To a bug, it's home. To a dog, it's a fire hydrant.

[jberryhill]

55. Well, the problem with this one is that they have the color sequence wrong

Whomever did the main post does not know the order of colors in a rainbow.

[tavalon]

69. That so isn't the point

But, you know that. Now, if they did it on Science day, then shame on them, but whatever.

[jberryhill]

77. Lol

[WoonTars]

83. This

...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

84. Full disclosure: I saw a rainbow last Friday, and a much bigger one

two or three weeks ago. The earlier one was a double rainbow. I stopped to marvel at them, as they are wonderful to behold. Still, it's optics at work.

The ancients must have had a hell of a time trying to figure them out. At least until someone stood next to a waterfall juuuust right and then made the connection.

Ditto the Northern Lights. What did they think of them?

[WoonTars]

85. Right?

...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

86. "Still, it's optics at work." NT

[nolabear]

18. Love wins again!

[MyOwnPeace]

21. I hate it

when haters hate!

[paleotn]

22. Wonderful idea!

However, if it were chained to my gate...two words....bolt cutters. I've got a nice, big handy pair in the garage.

[smirkymonkey]

23. That is awesome!

I love that part of the village!

[William769]

24. When someone throws us lemons

We make fabulous lemonade!

[sheshe2]

44. Excellent my dear.

[Big_K]

62. Or find someone to throw us some vodka....

and have a nice evening.

[aquamarina]

25. This is how you do it.

[DinahMoeHum]

26. Tee hee! Way to flip the script on the bible bangers.

And it's not for nothing that Jesus himself once said for such folks:

". . .Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."
Matthew 21:31 (New International Version)

[Hekate]

27. Heartwarming

[Hortensis]

47. Yes!

[William769]

28. Well Jesus did have two dads so that could have been placed as a memorial.

[sheshe2]

30. That he did...

[LAS14]

42. :-) Why haven't I heard this before??? Just me and the circles I travel in?? nt

[calimary]

46. Excellent!!! You make a good and most thought-provoking point there, William!

"...Jesus did have two dads..."

[hrmjustin]

29. My church is right down the street.

[sheshe2]

34. ...

[BigOleDummy]

31. Now THIS is excellent!

Wonderful people to do that with a symbol of intolerance. Now matter what the cross itself is supposed to symbolize, its use here and in this context was one of intolerance and hate.

Well done citizens of Gay street!!!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

32. Fighting back with love and top-notch street theater. Beat the faux christian at own game.

[font size = "+1"]Subversive![/font] (in the best way)

[calimary]

49. How's that prayer go? "...where there is hatred, let me sow love..."

[toddwv]

33. They should paing "Love thy neighbor" on it...

[dhol82]

35. Saw this yesterday and wondered what it was all about

I think it's a fabulous solution to the problem!

[panader0]

36. What street does the original owner live on? Asshole Avenue?

Great response to hatred.

[mcar]

37. Love!

[warmfeet]

38. That is just beautiful.

A perfect response.

[Aristus]

39. How wonderful...

Love to all from an ally...

[LAS14]

40. Wonderful! K & R nt

[SpankMe]

45. Oh, how I wish I had the brains and creativity to respond like this.

When some right-wing fuck does stuff like this, I want to find their house and drop the cross on top of it from a helicopter. Anger drives me more than charm.

[calimary]

48. I often wonder if one of the 12 Apostles was gay.

After all, I've read the guesstimates that one in ten humans is gay. There were 12 Apostles, according to what we're taught. They were a bunch of random picks, assembled into the first formal group of followers. Like a board of directors with Jesus as their CEO. They were that era's blue-collar workers, tax collectors, underdogs, average-Joes. He hung out with people who were reviled by "polite society". I see no reason why at least one of His inner circle wouldn't be gay. Simply by the numbers, why wouldn't it work out that way? Law of averages and all that.

[MrPurple]

65. and maybe the big guy JC himself...

[kag]

71. Funny, I was just having this conversation with a friend.

Was Jesus gay? Well, he hung around with a bunch of dudes, never married, etc. You can get kind of silly about it, but it can also be a serious question. Just wondering.

[calimary]

82. Some of us have been asking questions like that for a long time.

LOTS of uncomfortable questions.

How do we know? There's already the big question mark about what He was up to during those "missing years" - between when He was the Kid who wandered off away from His parents and was later found deep in discussion with a group of Temple elders, and when He emerged as a public figure at approximately age 30. Where'd He go during those mystery years? What did He do? Who'd He go hang out with and/or study with? Who did He meet? What did He learn from those encounters?

When I saw the Scorsese film "The Last Temptation of Christ," I was almost literally thunderstruck. What a revelation! This was like the ultimate "what if". That movie theorized about a Jesus who took a wife, fathered children, had a family and a long and fulfilling life after that. The idea was - while He was dying on the Cross, Satan came to Him and offered Him relief, and He took it. "What if I could make all this go away for You and You wouldn't suffer or die here in pain and public humiliation? You wouldn't be The Savior Who paid the ultimate price to save all the rest of us. But You wouldn't have to die so horribly like this, and You'd have a happy, peaceful, and deeply satisfying life, and You could still preach and all that." And He took it, and lived to a ripe old age with lots of children and grandchildren around Him and a loving wife and all those other good, but earthly, mortal things. And by doing so, He thereby realized that He couldn't be our Savior if He chose that easier, more pleasant option. So He ultimately rejected Satan's tempting offer, even after being given the chance to taste it. There was a HUGE public outcry from hardline Christians who just hated the movie and protested it and made a big stink out of it. I thought it was one of the most magnificent movies EVER. Because it really pointed out, in the clearest and most glaring terms, the magnitude of The Sacrifice. It gave you an idea of what Jesus gave up, that He certainly could have had, if He'd chosen the less painful path.

What if He'd gotten married? What if Mary Magdalene was His girlfriend, or lover, or wife? What if He had several girlfriends (remember Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus)? What if He'd been sexually active? After all, weren't we all taught that the whole point of His coming down to earth was to live as one of us? He wasn't sent down in some fiery chariot with a lot of winged horses and angels with trumpets announcing His arrival. And He didn't reign from some sort of fabulous palace with everybody waiting on Him and bowing to Him as some sort of earthly king. He was born in a barn. Started His life homeless. Didn't have that much after that, so we're told. And He certainly wasn't a property owner. He pretty much went through life with just the clothes on His back, and the generosity and hospitality of friends and followers, as we're taught.

As a mother, I often find myself imagining my own "what if's" about Christ. Did He have siblings? Why wouldn't He, since the whole premise of Him living as one of us meant the possibility of brothers and sisters. There was no birth control back then, after all. Did He have a pet? Did He fight with His friends and siblings? Did He catch cold? Have to skip school? Forget His homework? What did He have for toys? Did He have a favorite? Did He always need to sleep with a teddy bear or some such thing? What did He do for recreation? What did He like to eat? What was the favorite treat His mom would make for Him? What food did He find yucky? Did He ever fall down and skin His knees and have to go to whatever medical services there might have been back then? Did He ever break His arm or leg? Did He break stuff around the house - His mother's favorite flower vase, a stool His dad made in the carpenter's shop? Did He make mischief like most kids do? Did He have a messy room? What was His favorite subject in school? What was His worst subject? He was presumably here to live as one of us, so why wouldn't He have the same kinds of experiences as the rest of us do?

Indeed - what if He was gay? As you point out, kag, He DID hang around with a bunch of dudes. And Mary Magdalene was supposedly in there a lot, too, but we just don't know. Besides, the Gospel of Mary was omitted when later church elders decided to figure out, once and for all, what books of the Bible were to be retained and which were to be dismissed. But what little we know of it is that she was evidently regarded as His favorite, and the guys all resented her for it. But we'll never know. We sure won't ever know from a woman's viewpoint. Even His mother's story - what there is of it - was told by men.

One thing on which I don't necessarily agree with you, kag. I don't think it's silly at all. Why SHOULDN'T we be curious about Him and the life He led - particularly all those parts that weren't documented? I think it's totally reasonable and healthy - and I suspect it would only enhance the love and reverence we feel toward Him, and help us relate to Him all the more fully. We're taught that He came down to this plane to live as one of us and to share the fullness of our reality. So why wouldn't it be His reality as well?

[Eliot Rosewater]

51. Quite appropriate, the Jesus we were all told about loved everybody, equally.

[sheshe2]

56. Equally.

Unconditional love.

[ismnotwasm]

53. YaY!!

Love wins!

[bearssoapbox]

54. It's all about "The Power Of Love"

?t=1

[riversedge]

57. Thanks for post. People power.

[lapucelle]

58. So why is it "Gay Street"?

Here's some context:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Street_(Manhattan)

12 Gay St., formerly owned by Mayor Jimmy Walker for use by his "lady friends", is reported to be haunted.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2009/10/theres_something_queer_about_t.html

I spent four wonderful years in the 1970's as a student at NYU. This neighborhood is magical. It's a step back into old New York and has remained hip in myriad the eras without going hipster.

I don't think either the City or the residents will see this as anything other than street art of the first order.

Thank you, sheshe, for this wonderful story.

[Doreen]

59. Beautiful!!

[oldcynic]

60. brilliant finger to christofascists

If you just sawed it up the fascists would think they won and bring more. This way, they know they lost!

[kag]

72. And this way...

if they brought more it would just be that much bigger a canvas that the good guys had to work with. Excellent! I do LOVE IT when the good guys (including the smart guys) win!

[Starry Messenger]

61. k&r

[SusanaMontana41]

63. Beautiful!

[AllaN01Bear]

64. yes. bravo. eggscllent.

[demigoddess]

66. WONDERFUL!!!

[sheshe2]

67. Love your reply.

[pansypoo53219]

70. RESIST!

[Takket]

73. The mental image of steam shooting out of the cross Owner's ears

Is priceless

[ProfessorGAC]

74. Great Way To Cause A Backfire

The person who started this is a dumbass.

[LAS14]

87. What kind of backfire? Started what, the cross or the rainbow? nt

[ProfessorGAC]

88. The Cross

The people in that neighborhood made the whole stunt go sideways on the person who started their "crusade".

I especially like the part where they locked it themselves and then superglued the keyhole.

[bleedingulcers]

75. I love New York....

nt

[cwydro]

76. K and r. nt

[Initech]

78. Jesus would approve!

[treestar]

79. That is quite awesome.

[wolfie001]

81. Just my opinion but....

....the common and reoccurring problem with all religion is the constant theme of "purity". This is a flaw. It eventually morphs into extremism and dogma. Even these cute little displays will be misconstrued and motivate haters.