#153. Grossly underpaying the designer of the "salvation illustration."
Apr 15th by Jon
I should be a trust fund millionaire. I should have pants made of gold and shoes made of sparkling diamonds. I should not have a hole in my bedroom ceiling from the “squirrel incident.” I should not be forced to tell my kids that the pet store is the “free zoo.” I should be rich. But alas, I am not because of World War II. You will not believe this and that’s OK, but my grandfather once held the patent to blowing bubbles. That sounds like holding the patent to the rainbow, but it’s true. He and some scientists first formulated the substance that your kids blow bubbles with and my kids drink. (Hey, you made the bubbles green apple flavored and my kid is not supposed to guzzle that the moment I look away? You are killing me bubble cartel.) But during World War II they had to ration glass and it was impossible to sell bubbles without little glass containers so my grandfather sold the patent. And that’s why I will be going to work today.
You know who else should be rich? The person that first drew the “salvation illustration.” This is of course the illustration that shows you on one side, God on another and Christ as the bridge between the two. Seriously, next to the cross, is there an illustration that is used more often in Christianity? It’s our favorite illustration and it’s good. It’s simple and easy to understand and year after year, decade after decade we reprint it. And somewhere, a designer sits alone in a rocking chair counting their version of imagined bubble millions .
Comments
Do you mean trust “fund” millionaire? Love your site-you are an interesting writer.
I can relate to your bubble story a bit. My grandfather patented a dye process I believe. The downside to this however, is that the money he put in a trust fund for my mom (supplemental stuff.. I’d still have to work and such, but it might have helped me and my sisters out) has been squandered to absolutely nothing. God forgive me.. my bitterness is still very much there.
We have blueberry scented bubbles.. it would go great with pancakes.
what about the poor guy that thought up the “5 core values”?
i’ve always wondered, once the person gets halfway across, how they’re supposed to get over the part that sticks up i the middle of the cross bridge…
I believe you! My grandpa was involved in designing the game “Mouse Trap” but never got any credit for it. Not that that is nearly as cool as bubbles!
thank you Ryan! I spent many years as a Little Church-Goer always curious as to how we got across when we reached the middle! Do we climb over? Is there a rope or elevator hidden within the top of the cross? I can’t imagine how this has gone unnoticed by millions of people. This is a major flaw in the design.
ehm: there is a door. didnt Jesus say I am the door? You just open the door and walk right thru that upright!
You know, I bet that Jesus was drawing this illustration in the sand just before His famous quote, “He who has not sinned may cast the first stone”. Or so, I like to imagine this is what He wrote. It adds a bit of genius to the situation, not that Jesus needs any more genius. He is the fulfillment of the word!
Anyway, I also find myself with a bubble complex. My great uncle actually created the donut making machine. He worked for a dough producing company, that wasn’t making enough money because at the time, they were making too much dough and didn’t have a way to turn the dough into donuts fast enough! Oh the travesty. So my snazzy engineer uncle was commissioned to create a machine to produce donuts out of their dough recipe much faster than just man power alone. These machines were patented under the dough company sadly, because he had some ridiculous contract, and received zero profits from his glorious creation.
Just imagine, without that contract, he’d still be making tons of money from every Krispy Creme donut shop! And he didn’t have children, so who knows, we might have gained in the profits! Ah well. It’s still a cool claim to fame!
Yes, I’m related to the guy who made the nation of the USA obese. What a claim to fame. hahaha
I used it today in my office to share Christ with a guy…oldie but goodie?
And of course, without the diagram, we wouldn’t have Point of Grace singing, “There’s a bridge to cross the great divide,” which, through the clever use of wordplay worthy of my 58-year-old Midwestern father becomes, “There’s a CROSS to BRIDGE the great divide.” Brilliant! Switching the two words. I think that they must have lifted it from one of Bob Dylan’s sketchbooks.