Bob Martin decided to light a candle instead of curse the darkness. This longtime Morganton resident erected a lighted display of three crosses and two white angels in a grassy field he owns. Because, he said, "They took prayer and religion and everything like that out of schools, and it made me mad."
The property faces a heavily-traveled road in front of Freedom High School, so students see it coming and going. He said, "I thought it might put a spark in one of them."
While Martin has had no comments from students, plenty of others have told him they appreciate his efforts. He's received calls from residents and business owners in Morganton.
"My church people have bragged on it some, too," he added. He attends Catawba Valley Baptist church on N.C. 18 North.
Adjacent to the cross display site sits Bob's Body Shop, Martin's family business begun in 1966. His wife, Linda, is the secretary, and his son, Robbie Martin Jr. also works with him. Martin's four other children live nearby. He boasts 11 grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren. This former Presbyterian decided to join his wife as a Baptist when he got married. He joked good-naturedly about Baptists who think they're the only ones who'll go to heaven.
Martin is a genial man, smiles often and answered all my questions except one. He politely refused to reveal the cost of his display. It's obvious his dedication and investment are significant. He used a dump truck load of mulch underneath three pick-up truck loads of stone from a local quarry for the base. He says he needed to build it up because, "I wanted it to look like it was on a hill."
These crosses and their molded concrete angels rise above a simple statement; they offer an aesthetic touch.
Martin harvested the locust wood from his property on Burkemont Mountain. Looking southwest from the crosses, you can see his ridge top in the distance.
"I wanted locust because it's good, hard wood, what they use for fence posts." He found the two angels 35 miles away in Forest City. He had to run electrical wiring underground from his home for the site and started out with two spotlights, but that wasn't enough to suit him, so he added another one.
Making sure cars had the best view of the display required multiple trips back and forth from the road to check viewing angles before positioning the crosses and angels.
In response to a question asking if he'd been a devout Christian all his life, he confessed, "No. I used to be an alcoholic. Thanks to the Lord, I've been sober for 30 years."
About his crosses, he says, "I wish more people would do something like this," and added that he may expand his display to include an opened stone tomb in honor of Easter. Anything else on the horizon? With his dedication and knack for such displays, no telling what he might do in the future.
As for displays of faith at Freedom High School, no one discourages individual silent prayer though there is no school-wide prayer. Every day after intercom announcements, the speaker invokes a moment of silence, which is faithfully observed.
Students may participate in the Christian Refuge Club, a weekly extracurricular group open to all who wish to pray, read scripture and sing hymns. Students lead the nondenominational group with a teacher advisor.
Every September, students, teachers and community members participate in Meet You at the Flagpole, another Christian event.
Students may refer to Bibles located in the media center and online during school hours as their schedules permit.
Tracy Hicks, science department chair at Freedom and sponsor of the Refuge Club, said, "So as far as religion being taken out of the school, we don't see that as really happening. You can make the most with what you have. That's what we have done at Freedom."
Gwen Veazey is a member of the Morganton Writers Group.
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