Jesus Rode the Bus With Me: Richard Hook & the Art of Indoctrination

Last night on the bus, a young lady got on after me carrying a large framed painting of Jesus surrounded by children.

A little boy asked his mother, "Is that God?"

Mom : Yes.

Little Boy: Did he die or did he pass away?

Mom : Yes.  It's the same thing.

Me: waiting for it, waiting for it, waiting for it...  Mom! You forgot to add that JesusGod is ALIVE because he rose from the dead on the third day, conquered death and payed for the sins of the world so little boys and girls can hang out with JesusGod after they die... And Jesus is NOT God! He is but he isn't but he isn't who he is! Nevermind.

The Plan of Salvation played only in my head... Thank JesusGod.  I'm actually relieved that the mother let the subject drop... regardless of whether she missed an opportunity to provide Eternal Life to her son.  

Back to the Picture!

Let the Children Come Unto Me OR Jesus & Children of the World by Richard Hook (detail)

The picture was so big that I could decipher the artist's signature in the corner:  R. Hook.  I googled it and discovered the name of the artist and his wife that have graced this blog at least 3 other times.

Finally!  Behold... The most endearing kitsch Jesus artist of the 1960s & 1970s!

1. Christ at Prayer by Richard Hook can be found in my 2007 post on Matthew Murray, Dead Serious... the kid who shot up a church in Colorado... very likely after trying to get OUT of a fundagelical family and church community.  I'd seen this picture out and about for ages.  Glad to finally attach the artist to the sentiment.
2. Head of Christ by Richard Hook.  THE original Hot For Jesus inspiration for this blog and can be found in Jesus Statue Beheaded in 'Sconi: I DIDN'T DO IT! (08/09). The plaque I have didn't have any information about the artist... so I'm quite excited to give Hook credit.  Yes... I'm a total dork.
3. Jesus/Christ with Children by Frances Hook.  This has got to be one of my favorite paintings of Jesus EVER!  No... seriously.  We had a book with this illustration in it, and I spent hours gazing at this Jesus... mesmerized by the way he gazed at the little girl... and I would insert myself into the picture.  I saw myself as that little girl he's holding.  I know it sounds creepy, but that's beside the point.  The Art of Indoctrination worked on me.  Big Time.  Frances Hook's painting accompanies the long awaited, and difficult to write, post attempting to describe MY SALVATION, Part II : A Certain Slant of Light (12/10). 

The Art of Indoctrination isn't all bad.  For instance, the painting on the bus reiterated the children's Bible School song "Jesus loves the little children... ALL the children of the world.  Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world!"

Raise your hand if you don't know which song I'm talking about.

I'm pretty sure knowing or not knowing the song does not excuse either of us from taking racism very seriously... or childhood indoctrination that replaces non-Christian gods with Christian JesusGod.

But yes. Jesus does love little children. He loves to get them while they're young. The love in his gaze, to me as a child, was akin to nirvana. And if he didn't get you while you're young... you can still be born-again and become a child of Christ.

I truly enjoy this kitschy Jesus art of my childhood. This is probably not the last you'll hear about the Hooks.  I'm glad to have found the artists responsible for helping Jesus' face shine down upon me.

Jesus & Children of the World (Full View)