Return Him back to His factory settings.
Return Him back to His original narrative.
Return Him back to His true vision.
There you will see, so much of what is embedded and intertwined into Americanism is actually foreign to Jesus. In fact, He often lives and loves outside of Her, and often stands against Her. Her good that can be seen, the good that She can be, and the good in which many of us believe, is often overshadowed by the darkness She casts and the darkness She becomes.
Yes, the Jesus that so many worship as if He is an American is actually completely and unequivocally un-American. Sadly, their “America” and their “Jesus” is far from His heart, plan, and embodiment. In fact, if He ever came to America, they’d be the first and fastest to label Him as, “un-American.” Oh, oh say can you see… the irony.
For Jesus filled not the sails of Columbus, not the inkwells of the Constitution, nor the weapons that formed Her. Jesus raises no flag; pledges no allegiance; favors no nation. He cannot be legislated, elected, or sworn in as a citizen.
Jesus is “un-American.”
There is no such thing as lesser, depraved, or subhuman. For Jesus, being white isn’t the gold standard, human standard, divine standard, or red-white-and-blue standard for measuring the divinity, rights, innocence, potential, and value of any person. He doesn’t see the white man as the default expression of humanity and everyone else, a “race.” For Him, all are one-hundred percent human, sacred, worthy, valuable, God-imaged, and of the divine–all the time, everytime, anytime.
Apparently, Jesus is “un-American.”
Certainly, He is not a Christian, politician, nation, or faith. Instead, He is a person; fully human and fully divine–as are we, and as are all. His teachings are universal and of the Universe–He is all and in all. Jesus is not a road to be traveled, a way that is exclusive, a creed to be confessed, or a Lord to be feared. He cannot be written on a page, contained in a church, nor confined to any one faith. He is not a mascot, book, brand, logo, slogan, bill, lobbyist, spokesperson, school, college, band, style, party, PAC, or perfume sprayed by the privileged.
I’m guessing, Jesus is “un-American.”
He doesn’t have a dream to be dreamed, a status to be achieved, or a ceiling to break through. He doesn’t have an economy. He doesn’t have a currency. He doesn’t have borders, “illegals,” or immigrants. In Jesus, everyone is a citizen in full union and communion. All are equally “in” and all are equally “free.”
Yes, Jesus is “un-American.”
When Jesus commands the rich to prioritize the poor instead of exploiting them, He is un-American.
When Jesus commands the rich to generously share their wealth instead of hoarding it, He is un-American. When Jesus commands the rich to place people over profit, He is un-American. When Jesus declares, “the first will be last and the last will first” and the best way to calibrate your mindset, heart, life, and agenda, He is surely “un-American.”
When Jesus turns over the tables of greedy, manipulative, unethical, and deceptive money swindlers stepping over people to get ahead, He is un-American. When Jesus vehemently rants against the religious ruling class and calls out their fakery, evil, self-righteousness, and blasphemy, He is un-American. When Jesus admonishes Peter to put down his sword and choose a nonviolent path, He is surely “un-American.”
When Jesus feeds thousands for free without demanding a drug test, work plan, or valid license, He is un-American. When Jesus provides healthcare, healing, and comfort for the downtrodden regardless of income or financial capacity, He is un-American.
When Jesus praises and upholds examples of workers being compensated equally and generously in a way that tilts the scales towards the less fortunate becoming more fortunate instead of the wealthy, He is surely “un-American.”
When Jesus uplifts, empowers, and treats women as equals, Jesus is un-American. When Jesus refuses political gain, leveraging, inside handshakes, and deals with the powerful, Jesus is un-American. When Jesus demands that we love our neighbor as ourselves, Jesus is un-American. When Jesus disproportionately sides with the oppressed, unproductive, displaced, condemned, forgotten, and the falsely accused, Jesus is un-American. When Jesus pronounces the least as the greatest, the outside as the inside, the different as the designed, the unsaved as the saved, the doubters as the faithful, the weak as the strong, and the meek as the divinely favored, Jesus is surely “un-American.”
Yes, the Jesus that so many worship as if He is an American is actually completely and unequivocally un-American. Sadly, their “America” and their “Jesus” is far from His heart, plan, and embodiment. In fact, if He ever came to America, they’d be the first and fastest to label Him as…
“un-American.”
.
Grace is brave. Be brave.
Check out Chris’ latest book, Stupid Shit Heard In Church…
I don’t know when America stopped being a Christian nation, but it’s been awhile. As the Church has become unChristlike, it follows that the country has become unChristian. But myths take a long time to leave the imagination. The good news is that what is true of Christ has a better chance of now being seen without the distraction of the false idea of a Christian America.
Was it ever? When it stole land and murdered communities? When it enslaved people? When it kept black people separate, and didnt allow them to vote? When ….
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.