Walking with Jesus in America

screenshot of a Facebook status

Seen on Facebook moments ago, this kind of stuff really annoys me.

I don’t care how devout a Christian you are, nobody is ever raised to “walk with Jesus,” at least not in American Christianity.

What we know of the Jesus of the Bible is that he didn’t spend his Sundays in a church with folks just like him. He didn’t expect his followers to do that either.

He didn’t live at home, he all but ignored his family in deference to his religious work, he got pissy when an out-of-season tree wasn’t bearing fruit for him, he hung out with the most questionable crowds, and he added more booze to a party that has already drank til the last drop once.

Raised to “walk with Jesus”? Hardly. Raised to “walk with Paul”? That’s a little more probable, but even he suffered hallucinations and was so in-your-face with what he taught that he was chased out of towns with stones.

I wonder if either Jesus or Paul would have traded how they lived for a life in America, where six days a week nobody gives a flying duck whether or not you’re a Christian, so long as you’re in a cushioned, air-conditioned, finely tuned worship service on Sunday morning.

Image transcription:

User 1: Jill is getting baptized this morning…so proud of the young lady she is becoming. Looking forward to services today.
User 2: Have a wonderful day!
User 3: I’m sure you have much to be proud of! You’ve raised four girls to walk with Jesus!!

1 thought on “Walking with Jesus in America”

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