On June 10, 2012 by

Cannonball Jesus

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Cannonball Jesus
by Brian Zahnd

 “You cannot bear to hear my word.” -Jesus (The Gospel of John)

“Humankind cannot bear very much reality.” -T.S. Eliot (The Four Quartets)

“Ya can’t look at much, can ya man?” -Bob Dylan (Visions of Johanna)

It seems to me that what we really want is a tame Jesus, a domesticated Christ.

We want a Jesus who will “save our soul” — not so much now, but later on.

We want a Savior who tweaks the status quo, making slight improvements on the basic scheme of things.

We want a divine “life coach” to make us winners in The Game.

What we don’t want is The Game itself to be called into question. (Even though it turns out to cause significant “head injuries” to 100% of the players.)

What we don’t want is a complete rethink of the foundations of the world. (Not we who are the global 4%, a.k.a Americans.)

What we don’t want is a new world where the first shall be last and the last shall be first. (Heaven forbid!)

Yes, I deeply suspect that people like me really don’t want a cannonball Jesus who might lay waste to the way we’ve arranged the world.

We want a Jesus who will prosper us…but not critique the “divine mind” of The Market.

We want a Jesus who will bless us to win our wars…but not call us to rethink the venerable practice of killing our enemies.

We want a Jesus who will heal our diseases…but not challenge us to find a way as a community to care for our sick.

We want a Jesus who will endorse our politics…but we wouldn’t dare let him speak for himself at our political conventions.

Loose cannonball, you know.

Don’t think I’m getting all preachy. Oh, no, I’m talking mainly to myself…in a monolog.

(It’s for me and my friends that my stories are told.)

I love Jesus. That’s for sure. But man, oh, man, he scares me! I really do think he’d take a wrecking ball to much of what I’m most comfortable with. My sacred security. My middle-class comfort. My American dream.

I know this much, it takes real courage to be willing to encounter Christ as he is.

Oh, let me just say it the way I want to…

It takes balls to be willing to meet the real-deal Jesus face to face stripped of religious varnish!

He’s merciful, but he’s a cannonball.

He’s gracious, but he’s a wrecking ball.

Jesus saves me and slays me.

Jesus blesses me and wrecks me.

Jesus fascinates me and terrifies me.

I met Jesus in a dream once, and I’ll tell you it was wonderful and terrible all at the same time.

Cannonball Jesus.

He blows me away.

BZ

  • Stephen

    Thanks, Pastor Brian.  It’s true that we–that I–don’t want to encounter a Jesus who radically transforms, who calls me to die to self, to lay it all out for Him…not in churchy pious platitudes but in sacrificial service.  This One We should fear for His holy Otherness, and fear for His intimate embrace with His nail-scarred hands, for He will not let us go and He will not let us be as we are, as we’ve always been, as we want to be.  But it’s true that this Jesus I would love, this one who “saves me and slays me.”  Well-said…though hard to hear!

  • Windlace

    Religiously, I tend to disregard the vengeance and hatred in the Old Testament, and hold on to the “Love one another” teachings of the New Testament…Plus I just LOVE “A Course in Miracles” where Jesus says, “We are all teachers and we are all students” and “We all make a million decisions each day…Whether it is to look someone in the face as we pass by and smile, or look at the ground instead, avoiding eye contact…” And our decisions can put us in a real knot of failed thoughts, actions and reactions.

    The Jesus I perceive and converse with in prayer , thoughts and questions always has as his “God-Base” LOVE vs. FEAR (“fear” begins with ignorance, and ALWAYS  leads to hatred, wars and destruction.) So, yes, I DO love Jesus. But I refuse to FEAR God, because HE IS LOVE…in every sense of the word…I don’t want to disappoint Him, but even when I do, I am reassured that upon becoming aware of what I’ve done and trying to better my thoughts and actions, Jesus/God is ALWAYS there to forgive and renew the faith in my soul. We are ALL God’s Children…and I am so thankful to belong to that family!

    Yes, I too am “Blown Away” by Jesus/God’s infinite capacity to Love, Forgive and Rebuild…and INCLUDE EVERY HUMAN BEING IN HIS LOVE…No matter what ethnic background, color, human makeup or faith…HE LOVES US ALL EQUALLY…And that IS wonderful…

    “…With Malice toward none…” HE IS HOPE.

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  • Glenn Reynolds

    It all goes back to Dylan doesn’t it!

  • http://www.angiewashington.com/ @ngie

    Just heard for the first time ‘Wrecking Ball’ by Sidewalk Prophets and it made me think of this post.