Not a Christmas Eve Story

I had a post written for today that I actually spent quite a bit of time with, but decided not to publish. It's a true story about the selfless act of a neighbor on Christmas Eve, but as I rewrote it to protect the privacy of those in the story, it became less and less powerful, so I saved it for another time, maybe after another 40 years pass. In the meantime, something tangentially related:

I came across this blog purely by accident: Leaders and Lion Chasers, by Ken Carlson. The entry is nearly five years old, but it troubled me no less than had it been been written yesterday and by someone I know.[1]

(The illustration is from that blog; it's a picture of Jesus with the "Universal No" symbol over it and carrying the alt tag "No sissified Jesus!" You can see the article here > )

Ken Carlson quotes Dorothy Sayers:

"To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies."

Then Carlson goes on to say:

"... I think that the “taming of Jesus” goes a long ways towards explaining why many churches have a difficult time attracting men. What real man wants to follow a passive, accommodating, wimpy savior? Yes, Jesus was humble and gentle, but He was also strong and bold, and did not hesitate to offend people or incur their wrath when it was necessary."

Any picture of Jesus presented in this manner is irreverent, even if, as I presume, Mr Carlson felt strongly enough about wimpy Jesuses that this is the only way he could satisfy his indignation.

Note that he chose a traditionally Catholic representation (I believe it's called "The Sacred Heart of Jesus") which includes a demurely inclined head and a cross-shaped staff.

I understand the appeal of a strong Jesus, but I'm wary and weary of hearing about it from the pulpit and trying to unpack it from the obligatory clutter, which is often animated, hyperbolic, and punctuated with loud and startling interjections that seem to come out of nowhere.[2]

Please don't misunderstand: I've spent a little time reviewing the rest of the blog and I think Ken Carlson is doing some good work. But one Christian to another (and to many), I find this entry offensive.

I prefer the tender Jesus, the one that carries lambs in his arms, or lets children sit on his lap. That is the Jesus I pray to. If he does get angry, he doesn't show it, not to me.

You know what a relationship with Jesus looks like? If it's a long one, it's also tattered and bruised, and weak, and tired, and joyful.

My Jesus is gentle and safe, of the simple sort that might be born to a poor family in a stable, and who grew up to welcome children and spent most of his time with people the rest of us ignore.

c0

[1]
I don't know Mr Carlson personally, but we share the same Jesus, and that is a connection all Christians understand.

[2]
Preaching can become theater just like any other occupation. This is usually meant to wake folks up, not add an aural exclamation point to the sermon. I think they like making folks jump.

c0

Started: 2012-09-30