Jesus – Shalom
Llano Quemado, NM
This "church" in Llano Quemado is a mystery to me. It seems to be combining both Christian and Hebraic symbolism. The building has both "Jesus" and "Shalom" painted on it. There is a window like a cross. The sign at the street has both a cross and a Jewish star with a dove inside. The hours of service are Friday evening and Saturday, traditional times for Jewish services. An interesting fact of Catholics in Northern New Mexico is that some are what's called Crypto-Jews, Jews who converted to Catholicism during the Inquisition and emigrated to Mexico and then into areas that became the Southwestern United States. Though Catholic, they maintained some Jewish traditions. For more info, search "Crypto-Jews". So ... given all that, and that it's both Easter week and Passover now, it seemed quite appropriate to show these photos.
