“Come Unto Me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11: 28-29
Today was a big day on the campus. There was no fanfare, but it was momentous just the same. The relocation of the bronze “Come Unto Me” statues have begun. The first two statues were temporarily set at their new location at the northeast corner of the Galleria and the Main Entrance Canopy. The statue grouping created by the talented sculptor, Victor Issa, has been located, since 2009, in a corner garden just north of the former entrance to the Loma Linda University Medical Center.
The red arrow in the center of the image indicates where the”Come Unto Me” statues were located in a small garden courtyard in the northeast corner of the Medical Center and the southwest corner of Schuman Pavilion. At the time this photo was taken some of the statues had been removed and wrapped for safe keeping.
Upon completion, the new garden area will have a prominent location for visitors to contemplate the meaning of the “Come Unto Me” statues. The new garden area and the sculpture grouping will have a prominent location and will able to be viewed from many angles.
An Aerial View of the “Come Unto Me” Statue Sites.
The new location for the “Come Unto Me” statues will be in a garden courtyard just east of the Galleria (see yellow arrow). The statues can be seen from inside the Galleria, from the corridor near the cafeteria and dining room, and can be accessed via double doors across the main doors to the cafeteria.
Jesus is Placed at the New Site
The bench on which Jesus sits along with the little lad and his dog was carefully placed on the concrete where it will be permanently anchored along with the other bronze statues. One of the workers cautiously removes the lifting harness.As I looked at the bronze statue of Jesus, I could not help but notice the sand on His sandals and feet. I immediately thought of that wonderful poem “Footprints in the Sand.”
“Come Unto Me . . . Let Me Walk With You”
“Come Unto Me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (1)
After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. “Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you Never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you.” (2)
(1) Matthew 11: 28-29; (2) Adapted from: “Footprints in the Sand”
This image was taken from inside the Galleria. Look closely and you can see shadows on the glass panel. I like this photo in that it appears Willie who holds a plastic tarp is explaining to Jesus that to protect him from the elements, he would be placing a tarp over him. Willie’s two buddies discuss their next statue move.
The Relocation of the Kneeling Nurse
Earlier in the day the last of the bronze statues (the kneeling nurse) was removed from its garden spot just north of the main entrance to the Medical Center. The “Come Unto Me” plaque (lower right) will be relocated later in the week. I had to shoot this image through a chainlink fence. After the kneeling nurse was removed from the garden it was placed on the concrete (see red arrow) to be relocated after the “Jesus” statue had been temporarily placed.Willie holds the hand of a bronze statue to steady it as the driver makes a slow turn under the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge.As Willie was placing the kneeling nurse on the pad, I observed a relief just above the stethoscope. After brushing off the dust, I could tell it was a lapel pin. Upon closer inspection, I found that it was an ornate Registered Nurse (RN) Caduceus. An enlarged view is in the upper right corner. I’m quite certain that very few people who have viewed these statues appreciate the intricate details (including the fingernails and toenails) that the artist Victor Issa applies to each statue. The statues are very lifelike, and I noticed that the workers treated the statues as if they were real. Willie holding the kneeling nurse’s hand as he walked beside the statue. Tenderly supporting the shoulders as the statue was carefully lowered to the mat.. Wille carefully wraps the knelling nurse.
Where the Statues Are Secured
Some of the remaining statues have been wrapped and secured in this wooden crate. In the background Jesus sits on the bench looking out over the Main Entrance to the campus.
After graduate school Dennis accepted a position at Loma Linda University. He worked there for 42 years in the areas of administration and financial management, also teaching accounting and management to dietetic students at the School of Public Health. Through the years Dennis has chronicled the growth of the campus, including the construction of the Drayson Center and the Centennial Complex and the razing of Gentry Gym. He is the author of "The Mound City Chronicles: A Pictorial History of Loma Linda University, A Health Sciences Institution 1905 - 2005." dEp 09.30.2016 🔨
