The Buddha in my Yard

We moved last week, and as we begin to meet our new neighbors, I find I'm feeling somewhat self-conscious about the Buddha in my yard.  What assumptions, I wonder, are they making? And then of course, the next question is for me: Why DO you, if you know yourself to be a Christian, surround yourself with statues of the Buddha?

Because (comes my response) the closest I have come to the living Jesus has been through prayer and meditation. These statues serve as a reminder to stay centered, non-judgmental, and serene...