Exit 7 Route 21 - Belleville Jesus

Belleville is best known for its favorite son, Frankie Valli along with with The 4 Seasons. Recent notoriety came to the town as the TV home of Furio Giunta, Junior Soprano and Vito Spatafore of The Sopranos fame.


It is also home base for RetroFitness, the gym. The facility is set up perfectly for people like me. I’m not looking to converse with others and definitely do not want to spot with a lifter. All the Lifestyle equipment is labeled, "No instruction required." The free-weight section offers so many safety features and guards; it’s a lift-it-yourself no-brainer.

Here, the iPod is king. This is iPod Nation; this is iPodGym.

That little device Newsweek called, "life changing cultural icon." Audible CEO Don Katz proclaimed, "It is the limousine for the spoken word." [Sounds like John 1:1- without the limo]. Not to disrespect the beloved iPod, but I noticed another cultural icon at the gym. This one has nothing to do with technology. It is Jesus, Jesus on the forearm. There in plain sight:

Protestant Jesus

Catholic Jesus

Orthodox Jesus

Techno Jesus.

The Jesus tattoo, the ichthus body-bumper sticker for the new millennium. In the 5th & early 6th centuries it was common for Christians to spurn tattoos depicting the cross or name of Christ. Everything old is new again.

While referencing his physical beatings, St. Paul, using tattoo imagery, stated, "Henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear on my body the brand marks of Jesus." Galatians 6.

During St. Paul’s life, Roman slave owners tattooed their chattel with brand marks to display ownership.

To whom do you belong?