In the 70’s he was just “Hippy” Jesus. You know, the dude with the long hair, beard, robe and sandals? Then, he was your brother. He was Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In The Sky.” He was “Just Alright” with the Doobies. We put our “Hand in the hand of the Man from Galilee.” He was even a “Superstar” in his very own Broadway Play. He was all about PEACE and LOVE and FREEDOM. He was so mellow and cool and wanted to be everyone’s best friend. How times have changed.
Now Jesus is cosmopolitan. He’s worldly. He trims his beard regularly. He works out. He’s buff, wears nice clothes, has hip glasses, and oh yeah, he’s white. In fact, he’s VERY white; and he packs heat, wears an American flag lapel pin, and if he voted, it would definitely be Republican!
Forget that Middle Eastern Bible stuff. Surely he doesn’t look like those infidels. Hipster Jesus is All-American. He’s the kind of guy your Grandmother would love to meet. He’s much more about looks than substance. He doesn’t really care what you believe or how you practice those beliefs, or if you even have any beliefs. Tradition? Doctrine? Reverence? Forget all that. As long as you are sincere, as long as you are “seeking”, he’s totally cool. After all, in our own way, we are all trying to get to the same place.
Funny. For thousands of years he was a simple carpenter’s son from an ancient city called Bethlehem. He was the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for the sins of the entire world, and physically rose from the dead. He even claimed to “BE” God and dared to say He was the only way to get into heaven. All his close friends were gruesomely murdered because they followed him. Their devotion to him cost them everything: their jobs, their family, their possessions, their dignity, their very lives. They were jailed, beaten, whipped, fed to animals, beheaded and crucified. In fact, untold millions have died and continue to die for his cause. He told his friends and family there would be a great price if they chose to follow him. In the end, they all paid the ultimate price.
But, you don’t want any part of THAT Jesus! That’s too much of a commitment for you. That’s the Jesus of Bible times, not today’s Jesus. Besides, it doesn’t really matter what you believe. Its what you feel, its what you want, its what makes you happy, its all about you and finding your best life; And Hipster Jesus? Well, he’s down with that.
The Lonesome Leaker 