The day following the Super Bowl, as I
scrolled through news stories included on the MSN website, there was one about
the “He Gets Us” commercials shown during the game. Apparently, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
(D-NY) tweeted her objections to the message of the ad, which in essence
supposedly conveys the message that Jesus Christ understands what we go through
in life. AOC, as she is known, understood the ad to somehow promote a fascist
agenda.
I really didn’t spend any time trying to
guess what she meant by that, but in reading comments posted in response to the
article I came across one that said something to the effect that “most US-based
Christian churches” promote bigotry and also spread a message known as the
“prosperity gospel.” This message has to
do with claiming that if you believe in God, and, by the way, donate money to
the evangelist who preaches this approach, God will bless you with material
riches and exemption from physical maladies.
Understandably, this is a popular approach to religion among some folks.
Of course, both notions, that “most
US-based Christian churches” push bigotry and the “prosperity gospel,” and the
“prosperity gospel” itself, are absurd and patently false.
Yes, there are preachers who make a living
selling the “prosperity gospel,” and some churches tend toward bigotry. Christian scripture, theology, tradition, and
so forth, however, have nothing to do with either.
Sadly, though, it seems to me that many
“US-based Christian churches” have lost their way. When I read the teachings of Jesus in the New
Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), I find that Jesus commanded
love for one another, including the neighbor and the enemy. I understand that “love” to mean not only
desiring what is best for others, whoever they may be, but acting accordingly
in one’s relationships and interactions, in choosing priorities, in being stewards of
one’s resources, and even in making sacrifices and voting in ways that reflect this
love – not an easy approach to life.
I have observed, however, that many
“US-based Christian churches” are disproportionately insular and self-focused, hoping
to find the way to “go to heaven,” barely dabbling in the love that Jesus
personified, and choosing largely to be consumed with the congregation’s organizational
and “survival” functions. There also is
much contention within and among many “US-based Christian churches” over
differences in Biblical interpretation, i.e., “beliefs,” and how all of that
applies to contemporary hot-button issues.
This, of course, lends itself to division and alienation rather than
unity (which is not uniformity) among those who say they follow Jesus.
The Gospel writings portray Jesus as often
taking issue with how the respectable religious folks of his day spent their
time and energy. When compassion and the
love he promoted took a back seat, Jesus did not fulfill the fantasies of many
that he was “the world’s nicest man.”
Years ago, one of the national magazines
had a cover story about how Jesus is portrayed around the world. Looking at the images on the front of the
magazine it became clear that people from every continent saw Jesus as looking
like themselves. There were black, brown
and white depictions of Jesus. Some had
brown eyes, some blue, even some had hazel.
His hair was represented in various shades and lengths, as well.
It certainly seems understandable that
this would be the case, but of course, the self-depictions of Jesus do not end
there. For some in our part of the world,
Jesus is the embodiment of right-wing paranoia, for others he is a radical
revolutionary. There are various degrees in-between, as well.
Fortunately, there are followers of Jesus
that take the message of love to heart and are faithful in trying to live into
it.
Individuals and congregations find ways to
share in the love of Jesus beyond writing checks from their excess. Giving of
their time and abilities, for some even through their professional lives,
lifting neighbor and enemy who suffer from loneliness, physical difficulties,
poverty, trauma, hunger, discrimination, and other harsh realities of life,
people act because their faith compels them to do so.
February 22 is Ash Wednesday, kicking off
the Christian season of Lent. Part of
this observance for countless Christians is the Lenten “fast,” a way to recall
Jesus’ time in the wilderness following his baptism. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke)
report that the voice of God was heard after Jesus was baptized, proclaiming
him to be God’s “beloved” son, and that God was “well pleased” with him. Then, the Gospels tell us, Jesus was whisked by
the Holy Spirit out to the desert where he spent forty days fasting and sorting
out the meaning of what God said about him.
This was described as his facing temptations about the use of God-like
powers and abilities, and protection from physical suffering.
Today’s fasts during Lent take less grand form and scale. For some, it’s a
time to forsake the consumption of whatever gives them pleasure; others vow to
stay away from social media or even television for forty days. Whatever one “gives up for Lent,” the idea is
to make room for focused attention on God, or Jesus, or one’s faith commitments
through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, devotion, Bible study, or maybe
journaling.
At the end of Lent, and the forty days of
“fasting,” one then is ready to embrace and celebrate the new life found in the
risen Christ.
All well and good.
Of course, at the end of his fast in the
wilderness, Jesus did not take up the powers and abilities that would raise him
to top-of-the-heap worldly glory, wealth and political preeminence. He set out on his work, reading aloud from the
scrolls in a synagogue worship service the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the
captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are
oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus told the gathered congregation,
“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Read Luke 4 and you will see that things got
dicey for him right from the start.
It seems to me that our “fasts,”
whatever form they may take, first of all, seem a bit mundane. Maybe they are helpful to promote spiritual
growth for some people during the season.
But secondly, I wonder about the point of it all if when Lent and
Easter have passed, we just return to our prior behaviors. Do we simply engage in religious exercises
for a few weeks then move on to something else unchanged by the observance of
Lent?
In other words, while ads on Super Bowl
Sunday proclaim, “He gets us,” do we get him?
Maybe our fast should include such notions
as finding ways to put aside the idea of being “right” about God, or Jesus, or
morality while we are assured “they” are wrong, keeping an open mind and heart
to the possibility there is more to faithfulness than even we understand, or that our assumptions may be insufficient.
Perhaps seeking to simplify our lives
would make more room for embracing the example of Jesus, being mindful that
whatever we acquire or consume or waste, when we have so much, squeezes someone
else from having needs met. That seems
an appropriate fast for Lent that can continue after we put back in storage the
accoutrements of Easter for another year.
After his baptism Jesus wrestled with how
to be God’s “beloved son.” When he came
to terms with all of that, he began living into it. Immediately, – again, read Luke 4 – he discovered
it would not be easy.
His devotion, spiritual practice and
discipline, however, benefitted him along the rough road on which he found
himself and informed him as he made choices and faced temptations and
challenges. His desert fast following
his baptism set him on the path to faithfulness.
Maybe we can undertake a fast that will do the same for us and enable us to be disciples of Jesus with whom God is well pleased.
