The story of Jesus bracelet (See Appendix) is a bracelet of glass, wood, and acrylic beads with metal charms, including a star and a cross. Each of the beads and charms pertains to His Story or the life of Christ. The immediate function of the artifact is to remind wearers and observers of the life of Christ, from his birth (3 white beads represent the wise men) to his crucifixion (a silver cross) and resurrection (a dove charm) that demonstrate his love for us (a heart bead). The artifact is not just a piece of jewelry but it serves as a symbol of Christian community as well as reminding wearers and observers of the spiritual nature of a life modeled on ChristÆs.
The Jesus bracelet is a strong symbol of community among Christians, with the bracelet offered for sale to Christian groups and organizations in order to help spread the word and message of Christ. It serves as a spiritual reminder for wearers of ChristÆs sacrifice for humans as well as a reminder to remain spiritual by modeling the example of Christ. As McDannell (1) maintains, ôPeople build religion into the landscape, they make and buy pious images for their homes, and they wear special reminders of their faith next to their bodies.ö
The Jesus bracelet is also an effort by Christians to exert social pressure on others to believe in Christ and Christianity. It is a pressure that is fueled by the desire to promote a spiritual or moral commerce in the face of an often crass and material marketplace lacking spirituality or morality. Purely commercial goods that lack such value are often deemed to be in contrast to the humility and compassion of Christian values. In James Russell LowellÆs (1) ôA Parable,ö we see the undermining of purely commercial pursuits, ôWith gates of silver and bars of gold / Ye have fenced my sheep from their FatherÆs fold.ö The Jesus bracelet, with its brown wood bead to remind us of JesusÆ work as a carpenter and
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