Jesus the Poster Boy
Oct 24th, 2009 by John
Jesus the Poster Boy
by
John W Frye
Jesus has become the poster boy for love.
He’s been reduced to a fine example to follow.
Jesus as a loving example does me no good, though.
Jesus as a poster boy does no one any good.
We can have all the good examples in the world,
including the Son of God,
And it doesn’t mean a thing or do a thing.
The assumption is flawed at the core.
I don’t have it in me to follow the Example.
No one does.
Poster boys just take up space.
I need an invader, not an example…
I need a virus of rightness to infect me and disease me.
A lot of people are dying admiring the poster boy Jesus.
I want the Jesus that comes in, takes up space in me.
I want him dragging his bloodied cross, too.
I am not ashamed of those criss-crossed Roman boards that are
so suspiciously removed from poster boy Jesus.
I don’t need an Example.
I need a deliverer who delivers me from sin-damaged me.
Oops, did I write “sin”? I can’t find that on poster boy Jesus, either.
Isn’t the emerging world grand?
Popularity: 2% [?]
right on! Poster boy Jesus can stay up on the poster. I’d rather have Christ alive and transforming my life than some silly notion of “just a good example to follow”.
Thanks, William, for the exuberant comment.
John,
I attended “The Emerging Church: Evaluating the Conversation” at Baker Book House on October 18, 2007. I attended concerned about the effects that the various thoughts and teachings of essential truths of emergent authors/celebrities/ “pastors”, have had on individuals that I personally know – with the knowledge (by reading blogs, etc.) of many others who have been misled.
I vividly remember what it was like to be void of a conscience. I am thankful for the faithful that God used when he drew me to Himself, and I do not want to return to my position prior to Christ.
btw – Where was the John Frye that authored the above poem that night? Anyway, thank you for the poem.
Dave,
I am glad you attended the Baker Book symposium. The emerging conversation is much broader than the “emergent authors/celebrities/”pastors” that disappoint you. I think Martin Luther was a very dangerous Reformer and the Anabaptists actually took the Reformation in a good direction, but I still give Luther his place even though he had Jews murdered (Christ killers) and Anabaptists drown.
I have never met, do not lift up, nor am I a scholar of Martin Luther. I am, however, fully aware that history revisionism takes place. I have not read “On the Jews and Their Lies” in its entirety, however, Luther does state at the onset that his purpose was to provide a warning to the Christians and that it ought not be the purpose of Christians to quarrel with the Jews. The accusation that someone had others murdered is a serious one. Do you have credible sources that you could provide?
There are those in the emergent conversation whose message is not “Christian”. I would have been encouraged to hear that emphasized by you on the panel as Pastor, especially with the knowledge that many are blindly believing personalities but not Jesus Christ our risen Lord and His Word.
John –
I will likely read this poem to my high school students as we discuss the depth of our sin-infection this week and next week celebrate Jesus as the answer to Paul’s desperate cry in Romans 7: “O wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”
Peace!