Jesus, beyond religion

     I just finished reading a book by John Eldridge called “Beautiful Outlaw”.  Now I read quite a bit, I like both fiction and non-fiction.  I enjoy a good tear jerker, as well as a “search your soul and apply” kind of read.  But I can honestly say, in my twenty-five years of breathing and learning on this earth, that I have never read a book like this one.  John takes a completely counter-cultural (at least in the Christian culture) look at Jesus and describes him ever so bluntly.  I was in love at first chapter.  This Jesus that I have served for the majority of my life, but somehow always felt a distance from, was being brought to me in a full access, as close as my skin, kind of way.  Let me tell you what I have learned… I have learned that Jesus was not a dry, boring, mystical speaking, miracle performing, above humanity type of man.  As a matter of fact he was the exact opposite! The distance we have put between us and Jesus, the “honor and respect but don’t rock the boat too much” type of religion that so many of us have believed, however unknowingly, is completely contrary to the Jesus we would have experience in a face-to-face, flesh and bone encounter 2,000 years ago.  Jesus was FULL of personality, full of wit, sarcasm, love, compassion, and in-your-face defiance of religion.  Jesus was the fulfillment of relationship.  This makes complete sense when you think about the reason Jesus was born.  He chose to become a man, to walk with us, to love us intimately.  Not from a distance, not in a way that we could not relate to.  He chose to literally BE one of us.  He had to learn to crawl, walk, talk, eat with a spoon, lace up his sandals, and share with others, just like us.  He got dirty, sweaty, and yes even smelly, just as we do on a hot summer day.  He felt betrayal, abandonment, anger (though he did not sin), joy, and love.  He laughed, he cried, he danced, he walked for miles on end.  This is the real Jesus, this man who hung out with the boys (the men we like to call his disciples, like that makes them holy and therefore worthy of friendship with Jesus) he fished with them, ate with them, had inside jokes, and loved them dearly.  This is the kind of relationship he wants with us.  You, yes you, in all of your imperfections, flaws, busyness, fears, failures, and messiness.  (Note: I am speaking of myself there!)  Jesus wants YOU, he wants ME.  He wants to be not just part of my life, HE IS MY LIFE.  I get to live my life through him, in him, by him.  Without him living my life I can only be “good” for so long, I can only be so patient with my child and husband, I can only be so kind to the grumpy cashier, I can only be so content in my circumstances and then I fall apart.  With Jesus, this kind, noble, fun-loving, patient, yet powerful, passionate, and driven man I can be all of these things.  I do not want to forget this, I do not want to read this book and move on, I want to hold onto it like the precious treasure it is.  I want to know, really know, Jesus, love him for who he really is.  Hold tight to the truth of his personality and not go back to religion.  What I long for is authenticity in my relationship with him, to let him be himself with me, so that way I can be the best version of myself in this life. 

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