Friday, September 26, 2008

Jesus isn't Jesus now that he's Jesus

before we made him the answer and forgot the question
before the orthodox and the catholic

before the freaks and the seminars
before we had him charted, dissected and enumerated

before t shirts, bumper stickers and the blue eyes
before the icons, statues and stained glass

He walked the earth
a man from disreputable Nazareth
son of a carpenter
born in a barn

He spoke and he upset our understanding of God

but he's safe now
we have him figured out
he doesn't threaten us

pray for my salvation and that of my people
that we might once again hear the word of the Lord

3 comments:

Dave King said...

Just thought I'd share some context without putting it in the main post. Been thinking about Michael Krahn's post
Brian McLaren: “What is the Gospel?”
and the reaction to it on a mail list that Michael and I are on. Most of the reaction on the list was that yes Michael should be worried. I haven't read the comments on the post, so I don't know if the reaction on his blog differed.

While thinking about the post and the discussion I was struck that McLearn isn't saying anything Jesus didn't say in the story of the Good Samaritan and that all the criticisms reactions in Michael post and on the list could be leveled against Jesus and the Good Samaritan. Course we don't do that to Jesus cause, he's Jesus and you just don't question him. Course as I thought about it I began to wonder if it's we don't question Jesus or we don't let him question us. And that's where the above poem came from.

- Peace

Anonymous said...

Dave dude,

Did you read my comment?

Just wondering,

--Jeff

Dave King said...

Jeff, I'm guessing that's a no. As I said I didn't read any of the comments on Michael's blog, this was just a reaction to the conversation on the list.

- Peace