Closing Thoughts

I read recently in a book by Brian McLaren some of these same challenging questions, he articulates much better than I do:

“What if Jesus of Nazareth was right—more right, and right in different ways, than we have ever realized? What if Jesus had a message that truly could change the world, but we’re prone to miss the point of it?

What if we have developed a religion that makes reverent and honoring statements about Jesus but doesn’t teach what Jesus taught in the manner he taught it? What if the religion generally associated with Jesus neither expects nor trains its adherents to actually live the way of Jesus?

What if the core message of Jesus has been unintentionally misunderstood or intentionally distorted? What if many have sincerely valued some aspects of Jesus’ message while missing or even suppressing other, more important dimensions?

What if many have carried on a religion that faithfully celebrates Jesus in ritual, and art, teaches about Jesus in sermons and books, sings about Jesus in songs and hymns, and theorizes about Jesus in seminaries and classrooms…but somewhere along the way missed rich and radical treasures hidden in the essential message of Jesus?

What if too many of today’s religious leaders—among whom I must be counted—are among the last to get the message of Jesus and the firs to reduce, oppose, distort, or suppress it, just as they did in Jesus’ day?”