Thursday, February 16, 2023

Familiar Gospels

 

I avoid Times Square when I can, which is often, but not always. So the other day I found myself walking through its subway station when a lone man was preaching about our guy from Nazareth. And I’m not talking about Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Jesus was on his mind. What struck me was how enthusiastic he was about the bearded messiah and his good works. This is all I thought about. Doesn’t everyone – believers and non-believers alike – know all about JC by now? The answer is yes. 


He's not some mystery figure we need to google afterwards. We have his resume and we’re taking his application under serious consideration. Standing in a busy transit hub promoting Jesus is akin to telling strangers how great the Beatles are. Aren’t people aware of that? You don’t have some secret knowledge that no one else has. For centuries, people just like you – subterranean preacher man – have been saying the exact same thing. 


Obscure religions need better proselytizers. Scientology is overexposed. I want strange cults and weird customs, not a two-thousand-year-old classic. Tell me why pigeons make great pets, since I know all about dogs and cats. Even the biggest novice will know about feeding the poor, turning the other cheek, and turning water into wine. There’s an old story about Jesus did the same thing with Bud Light, but no one noticed the difference. 

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