January 18, 2022
Dear friends,
Every now and then, I wonder what our ancestors would think of us. Would they be proud of us and the choices we have made? Would they simply be in awe of the technological marvels? Would they be disappointed at what society has become?
A few have played out this thought experiment with Dr. King. My good friend, Bishop Woodie White used to write a “Letter to Martin” every year that was published. He would update him on things going on in the world and contemplate his legacy. The brilliant show, “The Boondocks” played this out literally in an episode where they postulated that Dr. King did not die during the assassination at the Lorraine Motel, but instead was put into a coma, only to come out of it in modern times. It was a surreal episode.
Still in popularity are the WWJD bracelets, which ask, What Would Jesus Do? The idea behind this is to act like Jesus. When I take time to reflect (which, admittedly, isn’t nearly enough), I wonder what Jesus would think of us. What would Jesus think of the church that says they are followers of Christ? What would Jesus think about all those who claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior? What would Jesus think of all of the advancements of modern science and medicine, and their use? What would Jesus think of our priorities and comforts?
I do not believe Jesus would be judgmental. I do, however, think Jesus would take pity on us, and call us to a better life. One of the strange things that I do that I think is fairly common is that whenever I seek to make a change in my life, I mark a date on the calendar in the future when that change is going to start. This is one reason New Year’s resolutions happen when they do. But upon reflection of what Jesus would think, and the call Jesus has on our lives is that we are called every day. Every day and moment is the opportunity to be a start date. After healing people all throughout the gospels, some of his first instructions are, now come and follow me. This is the foundation of our hope, that our opportunity is now.
Peace,
Jordan