Mission
Inspire & Ignite Blog

MY PLASTIC JESUS

Hannah Smith '20
Last semester, my freshman year theology teacher introduced me to what has quickly become one of my favorite movies: Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman. Our conversation about the film started after I donated a game to his classroom that I had picked up in Estes Park over the summer. It’s called “I Found Jesus,” and it is similar to Elf on the Shelf, except instead of hiding an elf, you hide a small plastic statue of Jesus, and whoever finds it must shout, “I found Jesus!” Points are awarded in loaves and fishes; they multiply the more you seek and find plastic Jesus. It felt like an apt game to give the teacher who first helped me find Jesus, not hiding in the corner of a bookshelf or under a stack of paper, but enthroned in the hearts of the people around me.
I entered Regis Jesuit disillusioned by my previous life and educational experiences. I was a high-achieving student with a fairly stable group of friends from middle school, but I did not know what I believed in, and I did not know how or who to ask about the questions that kept me awake at night. I felt purposeless and confused by the often conflicting morality the world and the Church proposed. I was driven, but not towards any end goal. I worked for the sake of work and some vague promise of future success. I was raised Catholic and have attended a Catholic school for the entirety of my academic career, but I did not begin to build a relationship with Christ until I walked into the first class of my first day in high school, which also happened to be my teacher’s first day at Regis Jesuit too.

I have saved every assignment and reflection I wrote for that class (and there are quite a few of them) because they document turmoil, change and growth. St. Catherine of Sienna describes the soul as a castle with an infinite number of rooms. It is beloved by God no matter the condition it is in, and it cannot be destroyed, but it is subject to dust and cobwebs if neglected. My freshman theology class completely remodeled my castle. One of my close friends sophomore year apologetically remarked, “Please do not be offended, I mean this in the best way possible, but you have changed a lot since coming to Regis.” That is the single greatest compliment I have ever received. I thanked her for noticing.

The “I Found Jesus” game has never been played in any of the freshman theology classes because the statue reminded Mr. Smith of the song Paul Newman sings after the death of his mother in the film, so Mr. Smith has since attached it to the dashboard of his car. The number was originally performed by Billy Idol and is appropriately titled Plastic Jesus. One verse, in particular, has always stuck with me, “Through my trials and tribulations, and my travels through the nation, with my plastic Jesus I'll go far.”

At Baptism, we are left with an indelible mark on our souls. Regis Jesuit has left an indelible mark on my soul too, in the shape of a plastic Jesus. The most important gift one person can give to another is education, and by that, I mean the liberation of the mind and heart with an understanding of the truth. I am forever indebted to the community that has given a little girl lots to dream about, and begun to transform her into a woman of vision, with and for others. With my plastic Jesus I’ll go far.

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Hannah shared this reflection at LARKAloha last month, and we are honored to post it as an entry for Inspire & Ignite. She is completing her junior year at Regis Jesuit and is an active member of RJ Media, Speech & Debate and the Drama Club. Hannah will be competing at ThesFest this summer, the national competition for those involved in theatre and stagecraft.
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