(Photo: WDAY 6)
A month ago, the First Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota erected a statue showing a homeless man wrapped inside a blanket and lying on a bench. It's a copy of Timothy P. Schmalz's statue called "Homeless Jesus," an emotionally powerful image inspired by the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.
The statue has already inspired responses from passersby. The Fargo Fire Department has been summoned to the scene twice by people who thought that the statue was a real person in need. WDAY 6 reports:
Fargo police Sgt. Kevin Pallas said the Police department has responded to at least two calls, one on Sunday, July 3, and another the week before.
“It’s not a common call. It just shows we have concerned citizens who are willing to make the call,” he said. “That’s encouraging.”
The Rev. Laurie Neill said the church’s staff was expecting a few 911 calls about the statue based on similar calls in other cities where the statue has been installed.