Thursday, June 30, 2011
Associated Press
KINSTON, N.C.
The Gospel of John quotes Jesus as saying “I am the true vine,” and some folks in eastern North Carolina think they may have witnessed a literal demonstration.
A utility pole about a mile south of Kinston has attracted attention in the last week or so from people who say the kudzu clinging to it resembles the image of Jesus on the cross.
Kent Hardison goes by the pole every day on his way to work at Ma’s Hotdog House, about a 90-minute drive east of Raleigh. His first reaction, common here when it comes to kudzu, was to blast it with Roundup herbicide. But then he had second thoughts, according to The Free Press of Kinston.
“I glanced at it, and it looks like Jesus,” Hardison said. “I thought, ‘You can’t spray Jesus with Roundup.’”
Hardison and some customers think the vine might be an indication that God is watching over the region.
Kudzu, originally imported from Japan decades ago to help prevent soil erosion, has enjoyed such explosive growth that it’s sometimes known as “the vine that ate the South.”
Hardison said that regardless of whether there’s any deep meaning to the vine, kudzu makes an appropriate medium for a divine message.
“It doesn’t matter what you do, it is going to be around,” he said. “Ain’t that a lot like Jesus?”