Several humorous stories which juxapose footwear and faith. Indeed, these are the times which try men's soles...

Sandal scandal: First, a minor flap about a Danish store in Arhus selling beach sandals which invite the owner to step on images of Jesus and Mary. Amidst 200 complaints, the shoes are pulled from the shelves. (Though Christianity Today notes that "Shoes of the Fisherman" -- sandals which leave the message "Jesus loves you" on the sand -- are still selling quite well.)

Up in arms: Meanwhile, Hindus Against Defamation are also up in arms (pun intended) about shoes featuring four-armed Lord Ganesh -- one of the many Hindu gods, who sports an elephant head, a big belly, and who rides in (I'm not making this up) "a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle". They demand the shoes be recalled for similar reasons.

Reeking hikers: Lastly, back in "Christendom": This last Sunday was "Reek Sunday", in which over 25,000 Roman Catholic pilgrims continue to carry out an ancient pagan tradition by hiking up Croagh Patrick mountain in County Mayo, Ireland. Doing the climb barefoot is seen as a way to work off Karma atone for sin:

Doing the climb in bare feet could be seen as a form of repentance for past sins: one woman was suffering the tortures of the barefooted climb not because of anything she felt she might have done herself, but for "the sins of the dear departed". It was her dead husband, she explained, whose wickedness needed expiating...

I told Ernie Sweeney, when I came down, that the pain made me feel like lying down and dying. "Well, if you did," he said, "you'd go straight to heaven like a rocket. There'd be a hole in the ozone layer to show the way you went."

[Background: Christianity teaches only Jesus' death atones for sins, not individual works of merit. Nor does it guarantee "salvation" for newspaper reporters who die while climbing Irish mountains barefoot. In case you were wondering.]

Just trying to help you keep a leg up on current events, dear reader. :-)