Jesus is watching - Photos and story by Justin Makler
Location: Bethalto Illinois, Roselawn Cemetery.
File Under: Roadside Attraction, Madison County, Illinois, Cemetery, Religion
When I was a kid growing up in the Midwest I had more than one friend who's parents would fall under that category of "religious freak". I'll even admit that I've been to a few religious bonfires in my time. You know when the holy rollers get together and start burning books and record albums in the name of God. I even remember one parent that decided that all "creatures of the night" were a sign of satan. We stood in the backyard and watched as she burned sweatshirts with owls, books about reptiles and even a t-shirt with a snake that read, "Don't tread on me. With all of this said, the following story won't be much of a shock. I was about ten and staying over at a friends house, I can't remember what we were doing at the time, but my friends mother got really upset with us. Began to explain how we had disappointed Jesus. I remember replying something stupid like, "What he doesn't see won't hurt him". This enraged my friends mother, she glowed red. Grabbed me and Ross by our shirt collars and drug us to the car. She drove about 10 minutes to Bethalto Illinois and stopped off at Roselawn Cemetery. She stopped the car just after dusk in front of the following statue. She yelled at us to get out of the car and to apologize to Jesus. "He can't hear you!", she yelled at an earth shattering volume. We both began to cry as we got out a quick heartfelt, "Sorry". She then had us walk around the statue so that we could see that Jesus was watching no matter where we stood.
It's true, the eyes would follow you no matter which angle you were at. Jesus was watching. After getting my drivers license I remember I would drive friends through the cemetery late at night and show them what I learned on that day. Jesus is watching...
My eyes are upon the faithful of the land that they might dwell with me.
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