Friday, May 22, 2015

The Texas Panhandle, Part 7: Religious Iconography





Christians in the Texas Panhandle are not shy about expressing their beliefs, either in words or symbols. Two examples:  the towns of Clarendon and Groom, TX.

Clarendon is a small town (population about 1,900) 60 miles southeast of Amarillo on US Highway 287, the main route from Amarillo to Ft. Worth.  The welcome sign at the city limit is a windmill -- one of the familiar Panhandle icons:





But look closely right below the Chamber of Commerce sign: 






The signs continue all the way through town:








































Up the road a bit, and 40 miles east of Amarillo is Groom, population about 550.  






Here the Blessed Mary restaurant bears witness:




But even more striking is the famous Groom Cross at a church just off I-40 less than a mile from town:




The free-standing cross is 190 feet tall and weighs 1,250 tons.  It was erected in 1995 and is visible for miles (right up there with the wind turbines):






Here are two articles with different perspectives on the cross:  reverent and irreverent . . . take your pick.






If you'd like to see these images in a larger format, visit my photography website, Todos Juntos Photography, by clicking here.

Next:  old buildings.



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