This statue looks like a homeless person. A blanket wraps around him. A park bench holds him up. But his feet have nail marks. The statue is supposed to represent Jesus.

Artist Timothy Schmalz created the statue. It sits outside St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Buffalo, New York. The statue was unveiled on March 31. Since then, it has drawn lots of attention. People leave money, food, and books beside it. Each day, the church collects the gifts. A local organization then gives the gifts to the homeless. When it was first put in, a woman driving by called the police. She thought it was a real homeless person!

The homeless-statue might catch on. Cities like Chicago and Washington D.C. are interested in getting statues too. Mr. Schmalz told WIVB-TV the statue is supposed to send a message. He says that when we see poor or excluded people, we should see Jesus. Does that remind you of anything you’ve read in the Bible? In Matthew 25, Jesus says that whatever good we do to the lowly, we also do to Him.