Which Jesus?

Julie Clawson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:07:31 +0000

When I first stumbled across this image, I thought it could be a perfect illustration of the commercialism of Christmas. You know, something along the lines of how we have replaced the true meaning of Christmas with crass consumerism. But as I thought about it, I was more struck at how it represents what we in the church so often do to Jesus. We've packaged him and turned him into the equivalent of cheap plastic crap that has no greater impact than kitschy home decor. We've made Jesus innocuous and safe. Jesus gets reduced to a nice cross necklaces or fish stickers on our car. We sing love songs to Jesus and claim the power of his name without ever taking the time to understand him. This Jesus exists only as a part of the financial transaction of saving us from our sins, as if the point of our existence was to give lip-service to someone so that we can get the goodie in heaven when we die. As I've mentioned before, this Jesus is little more than a talisman or fetish. Like the baby in a cheap plastic mass-produced creche, this Jesus is there for adorning our lives when we feel like putting him on display.

This Jesus always makes an appearance at Christmastime. We fight to win the war on Christmas making sure his name gets mentioned or his image displayed. We are more concerned with chanting his name as our mantra and forcing others to do the same than we are following a real person. But when Jesus is just there as decoration, or reminder of a past transaction, I feel as if we are denying the Incarnation. If the particularities of how Jesus lived and the way of life he called his followers to live are ignored in favor of a generic consumer-ready figurehead, then what was the point of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us? We could just as easily have created an idol that looks pretty and unassuming on the mantle without having to have had God go to all that trouble. Unless the Incarnation prompts us to do something other than create cheap plastic Jesus's for our own sake then I think we've missed the point of the whole thing.

In an interview about my book recently, I was asked why people who are saved and just living out their lives as good Christians should even bother complicating their lives by caring about justice. On one hand answering that question is part of why I wrote Everyday Justice. But at the same time, it amuses me that the faith tradition that taught me to pity and ridicule those that say "I'm a good person, why do I need to follow Jesus?" are now the one's saying "I've said a prayer to Jesus, why should I follow him?" Fully embracing the Incarnation means that we actually let it transform us – not just in some brief moment of salvation but in the entirety of our lives. A flesh and blood incarnate Jesus calls us to follow him in tangible flesh and blood ways. Plastic figures and cheezy slogans are insubstantial next to this incarnate God. This transformation makes us the hands and feet of Jesus in such a way that we can no longer ask why we should bother caring but instead accept that this is the only possible way we can live as true Christ followers. Incarnation isn't a cheap decoration that adorns the veneer of our lives, it's earthy and messy and complex and demanding. The incarnate Jesus grabs hold of our lives and wakes us up from our complacency.

Some days I honestly would prefer the mass-produced piece-of-plastic-crap Jesus I can idolize or ignore at whim while believing myself to be a "good Christian." I don't want to come face-to-face with the flesh and blood Jesus who demands I serve him in real flesh and blood ways. I fight it. I make excuses. I'm a miserable follower. But having woken up enough to start to see the Incarnate Jesus, I can't go back to sleep.

Fair Trade Christmas

Julie Clawson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:24:57 +0000

So the stores are already playing Christmas music and down here in Texas the highs are only the 70s and 80s, so the holiday season must be upon us. But as we gear up for the celebrations, the spiritual reflections, and the traditions now is a good time to start deliberately planning how we can make this Christmas a just Christmas. In other words, how can we subvert systems of oppression and exploitation through our holiday habits. And while I think some of those habits might need to be reevaluated, some of them are beautiful and hold special meaning. So while I am wary of over-consumption, we still practice the giving of gifts in my family. I just do my best to therefore try to make my consumption ethical.

So I'm excited by Trade As One's campaign this holiday season to encourage all of us to buy Fair Trade gifts this Christmas. We turn our traditions into a way to help and love others through such purchases. And if enough of us do it, we can make a big difference. They write – "Think about this: Just One Fair Trade purchase from every American churchgoer this Christmas would lift one million families out of abusive poverty for one whole year. Let’s make sure that when gifts are given, they speak of the sort of world that Jesus came to show us—one where the last is first, where the poor are included, the sick are healed, and the captive is set free."

Fantastic idea. And they created this great video to help get the message out there -

There are numerous ways one can support Fair Trade or other justice causes this Christmas. We are excited this year to find a Fair Trade Chocolate Advent Calendar. And I take time with the kids to support families around the world by purchasing animals from Heifer International. But there are numerous places online where one can find Fair Trade items to give this Christmas. I've listed some of my favorite sites below. But all it takes is just a little tweak to our holiday habits this Christmas to help show love to people around the world.

Clothing and Accessories

Food, Coffee, and Gifts

Other

So have yourself a merry little fair trade Christmas. Celebrate traditions and do some good while you are at it.

onehandclapping » christmas

Which Jesus?

Fair Trade Christmas