Perhaps this isn’t worth commenting on, given its humorous slant, but I am continually troubled by folks who insist on some sort of “buddy Jesus” in their lives. The phrase “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ” has a tendency to turn Jesus into someone that affirms our mediocrity as Christians rather than a transcendent figure who should be challenging us toward better and greater behavior. I still struggle with an immanent Christ, even though I know that the incarnation means Christ’s immanence and love for us. The admonition in John that I no longer call you disciples but friends suggests an understanding of the wideness of Christ that I don’t presume to have achieved yet.
It is absolutely worth commenting on, Paul! I appreciate your comments and agree.
I wonder if this next generation who places more value on friendship capital and the recommendations of friends (via social networks) would respect Jesus as a respected friend more than a source of moral authority. As that authority structure is challenged, I hope Jesus doesn’t just become the Facebook friend with the BEST links and status updates.
Wow. M’s had this for a few years on her itunes, just as an audio track. The song & the “sonseed” name REALLY made me think it was done by an ’90’s-era hipster trying to be ironic. But now that I see it’s actually a real group trying to be legit – well, I’m oddly disappointed, like I had higher expectations!
I’m not sure that, when it comes to Jesus, “respected friend” has to be different from “a source of moral authority.” But embedded in my understanding of “friend” as a cultural signifier is that it can carry with it a strong ethos of community, which in turn can have high expectations, social norms, and moral significance. For example, being “a friend of Dorothy” once had powerful meaning, and you might say that as a source of moral authority, Dorothy demanded that her friends be fiercely loyal, include & support all newcomers, and value privacy and solidarity.
Perhaps this isn’t worth commenting on, given its humorous slant, but I am continually troubled by folks who insist on some sort of “buddy Jesus” in their lives. The phrase “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ” has a tendency to turn Jesus into someone that affirms our mediocrity as Christians rather than a transcendent figure who should be challenging us toward better and greater behavior. I still struggle with an immanent Christ, even though I know that the incarnation means Christ’s immanence and love for us. The admonition in John that I no longer call you disciples but friends suggests an understanding of the wideness of Christ that I don’t presume to have achieved yet.
It is absolutely worth commenting on, Paul! I appreciate your comments and agree.
I wonder if this next generation who places more value on friendship capital and the recommendations of friends (via social networks) would respect Jesus as a respected friend more than a source of moral authority. As that authority structure is challenged, I hope Jesus doesn’t just become the Facebook friend with the BEST links and status updates.
Wow. M’s had this for a few years on her itunes, just as an audio track. The song & the “sonseed” name REALLY made me think it was done by an ’90’s-era hipster trying to be ironic. But now that I see it’s actually a real group trying to be legit – well, I’m oddly disappointed, like I had higher expectations!
I’m not sure that, when it comes to Jesus, “respected friend” has to be different from “a source of moral authority.” But embedded in my understanding of “friend” as a cultural signifier is that it can carry with it a strong ethos of community, which in turn can have high expectations, social norms, and moral significance. For example, being “a friend of Dorothy” once had powerful meaning, and you might say that as a source of moral authority, Dorothy demanded that her friends be fiercely loyal, include & support all newcomers, and value privacy and solidarity.