Jesus is a Badass

My freshman year in college I remember reading the bible on my own for the first time.

I was shocked.

After skimming through it and reading the red letters (Jesus’ words), I put the bible down and I distinctly remember thinking three things:

1. Jesus is a badass.
2. Whether or not He’s God, I want to be just like Him.
3. How have I never heard about this Jesus, I’m reading about, in church?

Jesus is a badass.

When I read the New Testament, I see a Jesus who is loving and compassionate, but I also look at the Jesus of the New Testament, and I think:

Jesus was irrational, illogical, & seemingly irresponsible.

Jesus loved all the “wrong” people. He disregarded many of the laws of those in charge had set in place. He challenged the system. He fought and died for our freedom…

Despite the costs.

I’m not completely sure of all that encompasses who Christ exactly is, though there is one thing I am sure of:

The Jesus described and modeled in the churches in which I have grown up in, is not the same Jesus I read about within the New Testament Gospels.

George Bernard Shaw says it best, “God created us in his image, and we, unfortunately have decided to return the favor.”

Simply put, we’ve created a Jesus in our own image (we want Jesus to look like a stereotypical suburban American): An “American anglo-saxon middle class” Jesus, who lives this safe, comfortable, secure lifestyle that teaches us to be “good” & “nice” people with moralistic values that won’t cost us anything.

“The longer you look at Jesus, the more you will want to serve him in his world. That is, of course, if it’s the real Jesus you’re looking at. Plenty of people in the church and outside it have made a up a ‘Jesus’ for themselves, and have found that this invented character makes few real demands on them. He makes them feel happy from time to time but doesn’t challenge them, doesn’t suggest they get up and do something about the plight of the world. Which is, of course, what the real Jesus had an uncomfortable habit of doing.” – N.T. Wright

The questions that immediately come to mind, are frighteningly blunt:

If we have been worshipping a Jesus we made up, are we worshiping an idol?

If it is in fact an idol, then have we not created an entirely different religion?

Is “American Christianity” truly Christianity?