It’s no secret that not all Christians think alike. We can read the same Scripture, for instance, and walk away with two different interpretations. And depending on our circumstances, it might mean one thing today and another on Monday.
That’s part of the mystery of God’s words. It has a way of meeting us where we are.
I thought of this last Sunday as I read a letter to the editor about my colleague Mike Luckovich’s “What would Jimmy do” cartoon.
The writer took that as an assault upon Christian viewpoints and said that it went far beyond the bounds of good taste.
I don’t pretend to know exactly what was in Luckovich’s head when he conceived the idea, but despite the writer’s fuming, I rather doubt every believing Christian was offended thinking the WWJD reference put Jesus on the same plane as former President Jimmy Carter, a mere mortal.
I, for one, saw it simply as a compliment to the former president that so many of us see his life as one to model.
What a difference it would make in the world if every Christian modeled Jesus in such a way that everyone knew you were a follower by your sweet spirit and the way you loved and cared for others.
The Bible teaches in Matthew 5:16 that we should let our “light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
That doesn’t mean that Christians like Carter want to be thought of as little Jesuses, but it does mean that striving each day to be like him in the way that we live our lives ought to be the goal.
With just four letters — WWJD — Luckovich’s cartoon reminded me of the importance of that. It was so simple and yet it spoke volumes.
The other day, I answered a Facebook quiz that asked “which word described” me as a mom, and in a matter of twirling seconds, the answer was hero.
“You know how important it is to bring your children up to be good people and that starts by being the best role model you can be,” the cybergods went on to explain. “They know that whenever anything goes wrong, all they have to do is ask ‘what would mom do.’”
My daughters and I don’t always agree, but I hope that’s true. I especially hope it’s true of my faith walk.
In defense of the writer, the idea that we’re called to be like Jesus is something most of us resist. We’re sinners and to think we can live a life of perfection is the worst type of pride, right?
Still most Christians would agree that Jesus came into the world not just to save sinners but to transform them, so that they might live both as witnesses to God’s love and as visible signs of that love to the world.
That’s what Carter seems to be doing with his life and that someone, in a crunch, would ask WWJD is a testament to the life he lives.
My pastor often reminds his flock that Christians are oftentimes the only Jesus people will ever see, so we should live like it.
If we’re confused about that, ask the question that appears on armbands, bumper stickers, and bracelets: WWJD?
Let’s consider for a moment some of what Jesus did.
Jesus didn’t condemn. He told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to go forth to serve.
Jesus had no respect of person. He welcomed all into this circle.
We live in an increasingly diverse world, even within our own family structures. The concept of the “nuclear” family hardly looks like it did a generation ago. Increasingly, blacks marry whites, atheists marry Baptists, men marry men and women women, Democrats marry Republicans. More children are being raised by single parents, by same-sex parents, in blended families and in families with mixed race, religion and ethnicity.
The same could be said about the body of Christ. Some of us support same-sex marriage, while others do not. Some of us are Republicans and some are Democrats. Some of us enjoy a glass of wine while others believe drinking is a sin.
Who’s wrong or right? Jesus will be the judge.
Here’s what I know for sure: When we purpose in our hearts to do what Jesus did, we’re like beacons of light drawing the tired and poor into his loving arms.
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