Rearview Mirror Devotions

You've all seen them, the rosaries hanging from rearview mirrors in vehicles of all shapes and sizes. I admit, I too have a rosary on my rearview mirror. Ok, I agree having things hanging from your rearview mirror could be a distraction and a hazard, but I make a point of making sure mine is wrapped up so it's not swinging all over the place (as you can see in the picture above from inside my vehicle. . . waiting at the ferry. . .). I also use my rosary in the vehicle. . . driving is a perfect time to fit in your daily rosary.

Sometimes however it seems like the rosary hanging off the rearview mirror is just a fashion statement more than anything else. When I see the low ride racing cars go by with the rosaries and the rap music blaring, I wonder whether the occupants actually use the rosary. But then again, perhaps one day they'll be in a car accident and look up at the crucifix at a crucial moment.

Now the point of this post however was not about the rearview mirror rosaries however, but rather about the rearview mirror crucifixes. Wall crucifixes. Seriously. Today I was driving down the main Canadian highway (ok, so it's the only highway that crosses the country, but never mind that. . .) when I noticed (how could I not notice?!) that the minivan in front of me had a ten inch crucifix hanging from the rearview mirror! It was huge. Bigger than the crucifix above my bedroom door. I'm not talking pectoral cross sized. I'm talking giant. At least giant for something hanging off a rearview mirror. Ok, now I think that might be a serious hazard! I appreciate the devotion of the vehicle owner, however, that crucifix just looked dangerous!