To My Facebook Brothers and Sisters in Christ….
I will tell you a story about a story. The story, “Divine Collision,” is a testimony featuring Jim and Henry. Jim is a lawyer called to Uganda to help young people incarcerated for an unreasonable duration while awaiting trial. One of those incarcerated teens was Henry. It’s a gripping testimony of the love and the power of God evidenced through these two christians and other christians.
The story within the story is the number of times the book speaks “God” compared to the number of times it speaks “Jesus”. Are you ready for this…. ?
The people within the book spoke (wrote) God, collectively, 106 times. They spoke Jesus, collectively, 6 times.
The story within the story is actually an account of evangelicalism. And it is therefore your story if you are one of most attached to that religion. Please understand I am not critical of the book or its people or any evangelical. I am critical of evangelicalism. The ratio of God vs Jesus in
the book is not abnormal within that religion, and is a sure indication something is terribly wrong. Fixing this problem is fixing most problems.
Relationally, when Jesus becomes a faraway Jesus He becomes God. Adversely, when God becomes nearby God, He becomes Jesus (or Father, or Holy Spirit). God is impersonal; many outside christianity pray to and serve God. Jesus is personal; only devoted disciples relate to Jesus.
Evangelicalism is certainly not a Christ-less christianity. But it is a Christ-impoverished christianity. “Divine Collision” is but a sample of evangelicalism. The approximately 18 to 1 ratio, God vs Jesus, is probably the same in your church setting, in your family and in your friendships. You can verify this by simply auditing your memory. When was the last time you spoke “the name which is above every name”?
And the solution?
Your only solution is to discard all religion. Just walk away. Religion hurts most and benefits none. Return speedily to “first love”. You will be welcomed and forgiven. A better life awaits the sincere prodigal.