The Sunday mornings of my childhood were filled with the sounds of Mahalia Jackson, Andrae Crouch and The Winans. That soundtrack was the preparation for a day of worship at the Delray Beach Church of God. It was on those uncomfortable wooden pews that I learned about Jesus. I learned that Jesus comforted the poor, fed the hungry, and healed the sick. Jesus was the embodiment of Agape, an unconditional and selfless love for all people. He loved and forgave without hesitation or reservation. The Jesus I learned about was visible in the lives of Gandhi, Dr. King, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. As I grew older, I realized there were other versions of Jesus that did not comport with the Jesus of my childhood.
Genie Jesus: Genie Jesus promises financial wealth to true believers and those who give their ten percent every pay day. The victims of this Jesus (I apologize – I meant to write the believers in this Jesus) tend to be the poor and marginalized who have been taught that Genie Jesus grants wishes to those who rub the Bible just right. While Genie Jesus has been very profitable to the pastors of these churches, their congregations usually remain impoverished.
Darwinian Jesus: Darwinian Jesus strongly believes that God helps those who help themselves. If you are poor, hungry or sick, followers of Darwinian Jesus believe that your weakness is the primary source of such difficulties. Believers in Darwinian Jesus will extend the loving hand of Christ to those in need after it has been verified that those in need have done everything within their power to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps – then and only then can they be blessed by Jesus’ love.
Warmongering Jesus: Warmongering Jesus and His servants are prepared for war at all times. And when I say prepared for war, I do not mean they will be armed with the breastplate of righteousness or shield of faith. Warmongering Jesus’ faithful will be carrying a 9mm Smith and Wesson or an AR-15. Disciples of Warmongering Jesus do not simply believe that they should die for their beliefs; they are ready to kill to protect the Holy Land and Christians throughout the world. Supporters of Warmongering Jesus have targeted Islam as their primary enemy. Instead of inviting Muslims to the table of religious brotherhood to break bread, disciples of Warmongering Jesus believe bloodshed is the only solution.
I do not recognize the Jesus many of my Christian brothers and sisters worship. It seems as if they are serving a Jesus that separates rather than unites. Are we supposed to aspire to be like a Jesus whose characteristics are pre-established and unchanging or are we supposed to worship a Jesus that fits our biases, comforts and needs? Unfortunately, I believe the latter has become the norm.
I am hoping that the real Jesus will stand up, but that will not happen because the real Jesus is supposed to be within us. So, I guess the question is – when will the real Jesus within us stand up?
