Jesus is not your homeboy

Posted by admin on Nov 5, 2008 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

While having a discussion with fellow Bombers Gareth, Marc and Russell about issues ranging from our culture – which seems to promote skepticism before it does faith – to our understanding of Old Testament Theology, we stumbled across the idea of our reverence of God.

Though the veil in the temple was torn so that we could have a personal relationship with God, what exactly does that mean? Is Jesus really my “homeboy” as a popular Christian t-shirt claims?

Russell brought up an interesting point, saying that though he loved his parents and grandparents and definitely considered them to be his friends, he certainly didn’t dare consider them his “homeboys.” I got to thinking: growing up, I always believed that it was one of the most disrespectful things when any of my friends dared to call their parents by their first names. Parents are to be held in a high place of respect and honour. Shouldn’t God also deserve such a place – indeed a much higher one – in our lives? Yet it seems that for many of us, God has been reduced to being a buddy to whom you give your time only when it’s convenient.

So I ask you: where has the fear and reverence of God gone for many, if not all of us?

Forgive me for speaking against Christian trinket-stores, but why should stores sell more Jesus bobble-head dolls and “Jesus is my Homeboy” t-shirts than Christian teaching? What is it about God that makes us think that He suddenly is a product to be consumed?

Even in non-monetary terms, many people worship God because it makes them feel good. Many people go to church only if they feel like they need help or pray only if they want something. I believe that this loss of reverence arises out of our Western worldview. We live in a world that’s extraordinarily self-centred and consumer-driven, a mindset that has infiltrated our religion.

The Old Testament gives amazing examples of true fear and reverence of God. I realize that our relationship with God is different now than it was for the people in the Old Testament. God ripped the veil so that we can have a personal relationship with Him, but that doesn’t mean that He wants us to fit Him into our life wherever it is convenient for us. We speak of “putting God first,” yet this concept seems to only sometimes apply. We go to church every Sunday, if we feel like it. We worship God, if we feel like it. Often times we find ourselves guilty of worshipping God because it makes us feel good, not because of any notion of actually giving God praise.

We live in a consumer society, but you don’t have to be a consumer Christian. You can make the choice to reinstate the reverence of God into your faith.

I recognize that we are all guilty of this to some degree, myself maybe more than anyone else (so you needn’t waste your energy calling me hypocritical), but in order to address a problem, we first must realize it exists.