My friend John Smulo has some really fascinating, insightful, and cool things to say about what it might mean to Be Like Jesus. I’ve added a number of my own. Here are some examples:* Actually care more about what is true and right and good than you do about what the self-proclaimed experts say.
* Have a beer, then a second one.
* Be normal, not religious.
* Be courageously willing to demonstrate your love for others.
* So trust God to rescue people that you don't feel compelled to run around spouting off predictable religious language.
* Accept that God can be at work in the lives of those who do not know the lingo and have not followed the prescribed methods (note: most of the time, Jesus did not say, "Hey, just believe in me!" Rather, he spent time with them, almost expecting that they would be drawn to faith . . . whether they knew it or not!).
* Oppose the status quo.
* Point out the harmful tendencies of the religious (but do so in a way that demonstrates that you are not bitter but rather angry at those whose ways misrepresent God and hurt people).
* Expect, as Jesus did, that living in a fallen world will always make you susceptible to hypocrisy. (What makes him amazing is that he never succumbed to this, but others often did, which is why he warned them/us.)
* Do most of your teaching/leading/caring outside of the prescribed environments (synagogue, church, etc.).
* Reject the secular-religious dichotomy by treating all of life as the place where God works and spiritual things occur.
* Allow everyday experiences to guide your approach to ministry (tell stories, draw from your environment and culture, etc.).
* Be bold on things that matter, but always be driven by genuine love for God and others.
* Allow truth to shape you instead of treating it as an easily understood commodity that you shape. Remember, even Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. Obviously, so can we!
* Honor Scripture by allowing it (and not necessarily our formulations of it) to be God’s voice in your life.
* Be cognizant that God is and that he is here!
* Join Scripture to life and life to Scripture, allowing both what God has said with what he is saying to permeate your thoughts and life.
* Make a point (when it is appropriate) to question many of the church’s sacred cows.
* Challenge those you know to actually defend their views, language, and practices from Scripture. “Hey, where in the bible do you find that idea?” can be a very (initially) frustrating yet (eventually) illuminating challenge.
* Think of creative ways to convey the truth without the use of traditional language.
* Teach a lesson or a series of lessons without referring to any theological terms.
2 comments:
Really like your thoughts on this, and that "Jesus" picture cracks me up.
Thanks, John! This is a great and challenging subject you've raised. It's kind of both exciting and scary to imagine what it would be like if he were to walk our streets. I recall teaching a lesson one Sunday a number of years ago, and I speculated about where Jesus would be on a Sunday morning. What if, instead of joining our service, he were to constantly hang out with the "undesirables" of town? Would we look at him with suspicion? Would we be tempted to treat him the same way the religious establishment of his did? As central as he is (or should be) in our thoughts, we somehow seem to forget what he "looks" like. Again, thanks, John!
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