We were raised to always bear in mind that we lived in a world that
hates Jesus. Yet no one seemed to actually mind Jesus, as presented to us, anyway. We didn't mind him, and neither did regular folk. He seemed chill, as we understood him.
But then, Jesus' "do better" speeches were targeting ancient Jewish stuff we don't attempt, so they don't sting as much. I can't imagine how fast the American bible belt would turn on Jesus if he was here today and said one bad thing on YouTube against the Republican party, or America, or capitalism, or Christians in general, or anything. And if he were here today, I'll bet he would. None of it would measure up. And he'd speak out.
I was raised to willingly suffer at the hands of the world, just for being loyal to Jesus. It wasn't so much about holding views, as "taking sides." I was on the Jesus side, and they were on the "themselves" side.
But then, Jesus' "do better" speeches were targeting ancient Jewish stuff we don't attempt, so they don't sting as much. I can't imagine how fast the American bible belt would turn on Jesus if he was here today and said one bad thing on YouTube against the Republican party, or America, or capitalism, or Christians in general, or anything. And if he were here today, I'll bet he would. None of it would measure up. And he'd speak out.
I was raised to willingly suffer at the hands of the world, just for being loyal to Jesus. It wasn't so much about holding views, as "taking sides." I was on the Jesus side, and they were on the "themselves" side.
Somehow, I was not prepared to be shut out of the
room by anyone, ever, for having idealism. I thought it was up to me, and if I "spoke out for Jesus," people might roll their eyes or something. But it's much deeper than that. It's not that if you say his name, or claim to believe in him, or preach at people, you will get in trouble, so much. It's much worse than just that. If you have any of the attitude of Jesus in you at all, you will suffer. And the more you connect with him, the more of his attitude you may end up with. And he got killed for his attitude.
People need to feel they can trust you to support and respect them when they bend the rules. And I wasn't prepared by Sunday School to be crucified on a daily basis at the workplace if I showed any idealism. I wasn't ready to be viewed as a problem if I worked a job and asked to only be presented with rules it was actually possible to follow, so I could keep them. Nothing bugged me like being shown the rules, and then realizing doing the job like an experienced professional involved breaking all of them in very specific ways, slightly, using grey areas, and not talking about it. And that it wasn't possible to do what was described on paper, and succeed too at the stated task.
Nothing wrecks a workplace like an idealist. They try too hard. They show everyone and everything up. When rules are written down, and we're not doing them, they want the rule either removed or enforced. They're not 'with the program' of just getting by. They want everything said to be meant, and they want to feel they're doing exactly what they're supposed to. Our law is full of laws we don't enforce. Stupid stuff about it being illegal to eat peanuts on Sundays, or whistle while walking down the main thoroughfare of town, and stuff like that. In the school where I teach, the Student Handbook is full of stuff that, if I actually tried to enforce all of the rules one day, I would probably be talking to administration within an hour or two. Our world works by "turning a blind eye."
In the modern world, idealism is understood to be cute, but bad. Speaks well of one, of course, but really, if one persists in it, one can't really be trusted. Shouldn't be allowed any authority. Needs to be removed from the gameboard. Needs to grow up and see how the real world works.
The real world does not run on idealism. In fact, it requires it be sacrificed. It is unprofessional and naive. And here's the scary thing: I cannot discern an upper limit on Jesus Christ's idealism.
Fact is, in bible times people couldn't even live their lives if there was too much Jesus in their day. He had them wandering the countryside, abandoning everything. They couldn't just go work or kiss their wives or play with their kids. He was too much. He wrecked everything normal. He came to bring a sword and divide families. He had no kind or accepting words for any official who was "just doing his job" it seems. He was unflinchingly critical of all human efforts and systems. No matter what the unattainable standards of Moses's law were, he contrasted them with his own, saying "but *I* say unto you..." and then demanded something higher and better. People had to follow him and forsake everything else, or they were "none of his."
I'm clearly not Jesus, but I feel like if God does give one any insight, or makes one idealistic, this is never forgiven. Not just by "the world." But by anyone human. Friends, even.
To be Jesus was to show up the entirety of human history. And to be even a tiny bit Jesus-inspired or Jesus-like nowadays seems to have that effect in spades, as people are really not used to it anymore. We need to believe in the Myth of Progress after all. We follow 'I'm okay, you're okay." If someone can't read, or is missing a leg, or has had acid thrown on her face, leaving her blinded and disfigured, we don't advise soldiering on. We don't advise adapting and accepting the situation. We urge them to be proud of their brain, their missing leg, their disfigured face, or whatever. Proud. That's a lot to ask of them. It's pretty much denial of the situation, which doesn't seem any better than being beaten by the situation. It reeks of embracing pride so as to avoid shame. Well, you can avoid shame without embracing pride. Jesus suffered neither of those conditions.
But we're not into self-awareness, though we certainly are into self-esteem. Not so much about knowing ourselves, but about feeling good about ourselves, which seldom go together. I'm a teacher. I'm supposed to help kids with that. Fact: Asian kids have the lowest confidence levels about their math skills, and the highest scores. American kids have, statistically, by far the highest confidence levels about their math skills, and some of the lowest scores in the world. And we're all "special," too.
It's not okay to expect everyone to mean the stuff that comes out of their mouths. It's not okay to "call" anyone on saying things they don't mean. Especially if they are in positions of power. It's rude. Why be like that? We need to accept empty, smooth words as okay to say. We need to only wield words to make people feel good.
Jesus, just living his life, screwed everything up for everyone unfortunate enough to encounter it. Took away any remaining hope of feeling okay about one's self. The fact that Jesus actually needed to die for everyone is the most damning thing, for all of us, that there could possibly be. His message is "Not good enough. Flawed. Selfish. Prideful. Foolish." But also somehow "I accept you." "It's okay." And "I'll fix it."
We don't want that. We want to do everything ourselves. We want to feel we've got things handled. That we're not being prideful, selfish, foolish and blind. And mostly we want to be left alone. I know I do.
People need to feel they can trust you to support and respect them when they bend the rules. And I wasn't prepared by Sunday School to be crucified on a daily basis at the workplace if I showed any idealism. I wasn't ready to be viewed as a problem if I worked a job and asked to only be presented with rules it was actually possible to follow, so I could keep them. Nothing bugged me like being shown the rules, and then realizing doing the job like an experienced professional involved breaking all of them in very specific ways, slightly, using grey areas, and not talking about it. And that it wasn't possible to do what was described on paper, and succeed too at the stated task.
Nothing wrecks a workplace like an idealist. They try too hard. They show everyone and everything up. When rules are written down, and we're not doing them, they want the rule either removed or enforced. They're not 'with the program' of just getting by. They want everything said to be meant, and they want to feel they're doing exactly what they're supposed to. Our law is full of laws we don't enforce. Stupid stuff about it being illegal to eat peanuts on Sundays, or whistle while walking down the main thoroughfare of town, and stuff like that. In the school where I teach, the Student Handbook is full of stuff that, if I actually tried to enforce all of the rules one day, I would probably be talking to administration within an hour or two. Our world works by "turning a blind eye."
In the modern world, idealism is understood to be cute, but bad. Speaks well of one, of course, but really, if one persists in it, one can't really be trusted. Shouldn't be allowed any authority. Needs to be removed from the gameboard. Needs to grow up and see how the real world works.
The real world does not run on idealism. In fact, it requires it be sacrificed. It is unprofessional and naive. And here's the scary thing: I cannot discern an upper limit on Jesus Christ's idealism.
Fact is, in bible times people couldn't even live their lives if there was too much Jesus in their day. He had them wandering the countryside, abandoning everything. They couldn't just go work or kiss their wives or play with their kids. He was too much. He wrecked everything normal. He came to bring a sword and divide families. He had no kind or accepting words for any official who was "just doing his job" it seems. He was unflinchingly critical of all human efforts and systems. No matter what the unattainable standards of Moses's law were, he contrasted them with his own, saying "but *I* say unto you..." and then demanded something higher and better. People had to follow him and forsake everything else, or they were "none of his."
I'm clearly not Jesus, but I feel like if God does give one any insight, or makes one idealistic, this is never forgiven. Not just by "the world." But by anyone human. Friends, even.
To be Jesus was to show up the entirety of human history. And to be even a tiny bit Jesus-inspired or Jesus-like nowadays seems to have that effect in spades, as people are really not used to it anymore. We need to believe in the Myth of Progress after all. We follow 'I'm okay, you're okay." If someone can't read, or is missing a leg, or has had acid thrown on her face, leaving her blinded and disfigured, we don't advise soldiering on. We don't advise adapting and accepting the situation. We urge them to be proud of their brain, their missing leg, their disfigured face, or whatever. Proud. That's a lot to ask of them. It's pretty much denial of the situation, which doesn't seem any better than being beaten by the situation. It reeks of embracing pride so as to avoid shame. Well, you can avoid shame without embracing pride. Jesus suffered neither of those conditions.
But we're not into self-awareness, though we certainly are into self-esteem. Not so much about knowing ourselves, but about feeling good about ourselves, which seldom go together. I'm a teacher. I'm supposed to help kids with that. Fact: Asian kids have the lowest confidence levels about their math skills, and the highest scores. American kids have, statistically, by far the highest confidence levels about their math skills, and some of the lowest scores in the world. And we're all "special," too.
It's not okay to expect everyone to mean the stuff that comes out of their mouths. It's not okay to "call" anyone on saying things they don't mean. Especially if they are in positions of power. It's rude. Why be like that? We need to accept empty, smooth words as okay to say. We need to only wield words to make people feel good.
Jesus, just living his life, screwed everything up for everyone unfortunate enough to encounter it. Took away any remaining hope of feeling okay about one's self. The fact that Jesus actually needed to die for everyone is the most damning thing, for all of us, that there could possibly be. His message is "Not good enough. Flawed. Selfish. Prideful. Foolish." But also somehow "I accept you." "It's okay." And "I'll fix it."
We don't want that. We want to do everything ourselves. We want to feel we've got things handled. That we're not being prideful, selfish, foolish and blind. And mostly we want to be left alone. I know I do.
1 comment:
yup, dead on. alone sucks, though it feels safer. thanks for that. so easy to crawl in and not want t come out. idealism has made many relationships hard, and me suspect. i don't wield a sword though, and feel i need to at times.
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