Outside of my aunt's house is a statue of the Virgin Mary. It rests between two bushes, and is enclosed within a low brick wall. This setup is popular in some Brooklyn neighborhoods with Catholic followers; I counted nine others on her block alone. Some alternate Mary with Joseph holding a baby Jesus, some have Jesus with arms spread apart. A Google search reveals that these statues can cost anywhere from $5.99 to $59.99, though I'd wager that installation and more high-quality statues can go upward from there. The statue is almost always the centerpiece, often surrounded with flowers or shrubs. Some have lights specially designed to shine on their statues at night. What good does this statue bring? What exactly does it signify?
The Virgin Mary is both an announcement and a security guard. As much as this statue is a proclamation of sort, revealing one's religion proudly to neighbors, I see it also as a soothing watchdog. The story of the Virgin Mary implies divine intervention, a highly honorable and mystic event. Mary carried Jesus onto Earth; just as my aunt and fellow statue owners might also see themselves carrying out his will on Earth. There is the promise, then, that God will divinely protect the home, and there exists the possibility of a mysterious, divine spirit pouring through it, a conduit for good fortune. I'd imagine that after a long day out, returning home and being reminded of Jesus's divine birth would be a source of renewal, to calm and coalesce her family like a warm embrace. Mary is the most popular figure of these sorts of statues I see, which is curious because Jesus is undoubtedly the most important figure in Christianity, possessing the same, if not greater, amount of mysticism, leadership, and protection. But a home is a feminine object, and so is Mary. Birthing Jesus has fewer obligations than mimicking him.
The statue "blesses" the house, but also elevates it to a church-like setting, with my aunt and her family the holy workers. Is a home a church? Is there value in treating a house like a temple? A holy home must feel good, but shouldn't there be a setting where one is freed from the glaring eye, the reminders to do and be more, the rules and regulations? Beecher reminds us that incorporating art into the home helps spread God's beauty, and that allocating your budget for cultural things is not the same as abandoning charity for the less fortunate. I can’t help but think that these statues act somewhat as battle flags, like some kind of line drawn, declaring allegiance to Christ like rooting for a sports team. I rarely see a similar object in front of a Jewish or Muslim home; it seems distinctly Christian to proclaim and announce your devotion outside your house. Religions often support enclosed concentration, marking differences between other faiths rather than understanding resemblance, and this evidence seems to support that observation.
Or maybe I am exaggerating, and people fully have the
right to profess their faith without being indifferent to others, or even
thinking this motive in their decision. Or maybe the statue is the reminder
Catholics need to answer Christ’s challenge of inclusion for all, helping the
less fortunate, and spreading love. Or maybe it’s just a nice statue and it makes the owner feel good and protected. I asked
my aunt why she chose the Mary statue specifically. "Because it looks
nice,” she said, “and because we are Catholic."
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