Which Jesus?

I’m writing to my fellow Christians here. Let me clarify that. I’m writing to all people who claim the label of Christian.

We need to talk. Because I think there’s some confusion going on. Everyone is claiming to follow Jesus, but I’m not convinced that we all mean the same person. I need some clarification because I keep seeing things said and done in the name of Jesus that seem odd, out of alignment with Jesus, and downright antithetical to Jesus.

I just don’t recognize the Jesus that some of you are following.

Some of you have this idea that there’s a white patriotic American Jesus who is all about material comfort, talks a lot about individual morality (with a heavy focus on sex), and is quite comfortable with violence and the means of violence. This Jesus seems to believe in the ends justifying the means, that only the strong survive, and that might makes right. This Jesus is all about blaming people, scapegoating, and putting people into categories of us and them. This Jesus not only doesn’t welcome strangers, but calls on followers to push them away because they are dangerous and we should be afraid of them. This Jesus gives us ammunition to protect our privileges and vested interests. This Jesus has no problem with a schizoid nature of saying one thing and then having people doing the exact opposite of that thing.

That’s what I take away from conversations and what I see and hear from people who adhere to that Jesus. I don’t recognize that Jesus though. I’m not sure where he came from. In fact, I don’t…