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This is NOT Jesus

So many issues to talk about. I considered writing about Woody Allen, except that topic is both potentially ugly and also exhausted. I might have written about hospital management but it could get me in trouble at work, or about medical history in 'The Godfather'. But, because I am now involved in two church classes and possibly teaching a segment of a third, I decided to write about a picture I saw on Facebook.

This is the picture-

I don't like this and I didn't share it. Why? Numerous reasons.

First, THIS IS NOT JESUS!! I am so tired of people putting up pictures of bearded, long-haired young men and saying they are Jesus. We have absolutely no idea of what Jesus looked like.

Second, these pictures are not simply inaccurate, they are iconography. The picture substitutes for the God without a name, the God without an idol. This God, the one and only God, is now represented by various idols- a cross, a picture, a name of a man. All of this is completely contrary to the call to worship God in spirit and truth. Instead we worship in picture and fallacy.

Third, we are called to speak with God in secret. Instead, we call out 'Christians' on Facebook, publicly making a show of 'faith' and 'values'. Wow. Another fake picture of Jesus on FB. How deep! How meaningful! How pointless. Live your values, don't advertise them on social media.

Last, this picture is a symbol of a set of values that are publicly flaunted, values that condemn those who do not share them, values that read the Bible literally rather than inspirationally. The posters of such pictures insist on their own righteousness, their 'saved' status. They condemn those who do not accept this picture as God, or those who want to commune with God in private, or those who do not believe God calls them to oppress or kill others.

This picture is a symbol of 'Christians' whose narrow, fixed beliefs prevent them from seeing the beauty of God and the Bible in their passion to uphold their own righteousness through a narrow and ignorant understanding of Christianity. When presented with broader knowledge, broader and more inclusive values, they condemn and close down, insisting only 'their' way is right.

How can people who purport to worship a loving God treat others so badly? How can people who are commanded to love one another hate and exclude so many? It is the hatred and exclusivity of Christians like this that drives away so many who seek God rather than religion.

This picture is not a symbol of God, of faith, of belief. It is a symbol of oppression, of fixed and irrational values, and ultimately of everything Christianity is NOT supposed to be. This picture is not only not an image of Jesus, it most definitely is NOT a reflection of Jesus' teachings.

Ted

Comments

  1. kmdFebruary 9, 2014 at 12:24 PM

    Preaching to the choir, but then you know that! This mind set has been an issue for me since 18. I was lucky enough to have not lost my spirituality while rejecting 'Christian' doctrine. A picture sets you off...false worship sets off mine!

    ReplyDelete

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