We know that there are thousands of flavors of Christianity, and that if you ask 5 followers of Jesus what they think about a topic, you will get 6 opinions – or more. It is this diversity of belief that is both awe-inspiring and frustrating; working towards unity without being enslaved by unanimity is not an easy road. This spring I have been teaching a class about the New Testament at a local college, and one of our tasks has been to read all if it in about 30 classes. What this has done for me, in terms of seeing themes in the variety of letters and books, is to remind me that the Bible is not consistent in how it shows us Jesus. Jesus is portrayed in many ways, from country rabbi to apocalyptic sword slinger. From peace-bearer to war-bringer. From loving teacher to tortured convict. Jesus is many things – so why do some people believe they need to change Him into something he isn’t – or shouldn’t be?
Jesus is a complicated character, and the writers of Scripture tell His story with a combination of Spiritual inspiration and personal opinion. The first couple of centuries of the church shows a movement that shared the Good News but also tried to keep to itself – they didn’t fight in wars, but they paid their taxes. They were waiting for Jesus to return, so they wanted things to be in good order. Emperor Constantine changed all of that, and soon after his spiritual experience, Christianity became the religion of the most powerful empire on earth. Soldiering became a form of discipleship, and Jesus was changed from a mostly pacifistic preacher into an armor-wearing warrior. It is that warrior that a lot of Christians worship today, and it isn’t making the world any better or safer.
Today, we have two basic Jesus’s being preached; the Jesus who welcomed the immigrant, and the Jesus who didn’t. The white Jesus and the brown Jesus. Too many Christians have embraced a Jesus of power rather than a crucified Jesus – a Jesus who leads an army rather than a Jesus who was abused by the government’s soldiers. Instead of seeing Jesus as a path towards peace and a lover of enemies, Jesus has been changed into a warrior king, ready to do battle and slay the enemy. I don’t completely understand Jesus; nobody does. But I think I know enough about Him to see that this modern war mongering Jesus isn’t biblical, nor is it real. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have armed forces or defend ourselves, or that Christians can’t serve in the military. What I think it means is that when we go to war, we need to leave God out of it, because there’s no such thing as a holy war.
Prayer – God, be patient with our confusion as we try to understand more. Be in our hearts and in our heads. Amen.
Today’s art is by an unknown artist and can be found at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Chatham, MA.