Blessed Art Thou

No, it's not your imagination. That is Angelina Jolie descending from heaven with a Walmart as hell below. This painting by artist Kate Kretz is called Blessed Art Thou and is a comment on celebrity worship in North America. Love or hate the painting, it is a provocative jab at our adoration of entertainment figures, including movie and television stars. Even those who are supposedly addressing more serious subjects such as Oprah and Dr. Phil develop an almost cult following.

I read a report last year on a study which found that people have a tendency to become more "religious" about sports and entertainment figures when they are not involved in a faith community. Who knows if this is true. Still, who is worthy of our adoration? On Sunday we heard that the magi knelt before Jesus and offered their homage. It is important to keep our priorities straight!

Bye the way, the painting is yours for $50,000 (U.S.)