In my constant quest to be a “Jack of all trades” I was in the garage trying to tune my rear wheel on my full carbon (way too good for a rider like me) stallion when my beautiful bride walked in and said:
“You know what drives me nuts?”
Now, having been married for more than a decade I knew better than to actually answer that question, so I did what any respectable man would do and pretended that I didn’t hear her. That worked for a second, because she wasn’t actually asking me a question as much as setting me up for a lecture on the ills of society.
“I saw a bumper sticker that said ‘Jesus is a Liberal’ and I think that that is absurd. Giving people free things and expecting nothing in return is neither respectful or the right thing to do for those in need”
I of course had to respond to this thought, not because I actually had a logical thought prepared for my bride as much as I don’t know how to just listen (despite over a decade of hearing “You need to just listen”). Now the irony of this comment coming just hours before the passing of the “Lion of the Senate” Sen. Edward Kennedy added further intrigue to this dialogue. My reponse:
“How do you know that Jesus wasn’t a liberal? With the feeding of the thousands Jesus gave and asked nothing in return. With the healing of the blind man, Jesus specifically asked the man to go home and not into the village, presumably so that he would tell no one”
(In defense of my wife, she is one of the smartest and most compassionate person you will ever meet. I have seen her literally give away her possessions to almost anyone that asks including the homeless guy on the corner of the street)
When I got into my office in the morning, I googled “Jesus is a Liberal” and came across this site: www.jesusisaliberal.org. The site states:
“We created this website because we believe the historical, Biblically documented teachings of Jesus Christ clearly show that Jesus is a Liberal. His philosophy, based in compassion, equality, inclusion, forgiveness, tolerance, peace and – most importantly – love, is 100% Liberal”
- Compassion – Check
- Equality – Check
- Inclusion – Check
- Forgiveness – Check
- Tolerance – Grace yes, tolerance might be a little strong
- Peace – Jesus yes, the Bible, not so much
- Love – Check
Which brings us to Sen. Edward Kennedy, who passed away recently . Just to let you know how far I have come, or fallen, depending on who you are, The John Birch camp was not a far right extremist group as much as a “Rite of Passage” for my family. Not withstanding the Chappaquiddick tragedy, by most accounts Sen. Kennedy fought for the rights of the underprivileged for a big part of his career, and you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t think Sen. Kennedy was liberal, which makes me wonder. Did Sen. Edward Kennedy act like Jesus during his time here on earth?
I first started struggling with this when I read Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity
This country is all about Red states vs. Blue States. Liberals vs. Conservatives. Republicans vs. Democrats. What if there is an in-between?
This craziness in Washington does not represent me and it doesn’t represent most thoughtful people I know. Perhaps Jesus would be like Sen. Kennedy, but unlike Sen. Kennedy I don’t think Jesus would have ever cared to receive one vote. His plan was not of this world and that is a giant chasm that can only be crossed one way.
Now I’m no Bible Scholar, but I don’t recall ever hearing about Jesus out looking for funding. Therefore, by my criteria, Jesus Liberal.