Jesus is everywhere...

They say that Jesus is everywhere, but if so I don’t know how I missed him on Coronation Street for so long.

I’ve been watching this gritty tale of Northern folk since Ken was a student and Martha Longhurst took off her hat and drew her last breath in the snug of the Rovers. I remember them all: Minnie Caldwell, Harry Hewitt, Lucille, Annie Walker, Elsie Tanner, Albert Tatlot, and all the rest. Although I don’t remember seeing Jesus on the Street until last night.

It seems that Jesus is alive and well and living at number 1 Coronation Street along with Deirdre and the rest of the Barlows (not Ken at the moment, but several others) and has been ‘in the house’, as they say, since Uncle Albert’s day hanging around on the wall, his hand resting on a Boy Scout’s shoulder.

Yes, a Boy Scout with his hand on his hip… hmmmmmm.

The painting is by Ernest Stafford Carlos and shows a Boy Scout in this slightly unfortunate pose, whilst a classic Jesus hangs around behind him.

Yes, he's behind you!

Carlos painted a lot of pictures of Boy Scouts and was a big hit with the Church, this particular painting being reproduced as a stained glass image in a number of Catholic churches. To be honest I’m not very surprised by that, any more than I’m surprised that Ken has hung onto the painting all these years; he's a sentimental fool is Ken.

Dib, dib, dib, Ken.

In fact I’m more surprised that it isn’t St. George in the picture, after all he’s actually the patron saint of Boy Scouts and it anyone should have a special relationship with a chap and his toggle, it’s him.

I’ll be keeping my eyes open for further TV soap sightings. Jesus really does seem to be everywhere.