Jesus Called and he Wants His Religion Back

For many years I would say that I have had sort of a “thing” for stickers. Years ago I drove a little VW Fox that looked like the sticker selection at any given “dead head” shop. I mean there just had to be Jerry Garcia, a “steal your face”, Amnesty International, Rainforest Action Network décor on the back of the car. It was just cool! Well my fascination with stickers continues, but recently I have found myself paying close attention to the rear of other people’s cars. It appears that a person can basically be defined by the back of their car or bumper.

Perhaps the most expressive collection of such décor would be found on college campuses. I mean, that is just what we do at 20: Express Ourselves! I was particularly intrigued by one I have seen recently that proclaims boldly that “Jesus Called and He Wants His Religion Back.” Needless to say, this one could be written off as potentially offensive to those who claim faith in Jesus, but also extremely thought provocative as well. I choose thought provocative. I wonder what they mean by placing that on their bumper. I cannot read their mind, but it sure does make me think!

Certainly there could be all kinds of theological pursuits in explaining this one and much emphasis on the historicity of Jesus’ “religion” and the Jewish practices of His day. However, if I had to take a guess I would think that this individual who placed the sticker would be much more concerned with the heart of the matter. If asked they would say, “The church in America just does NOT get it.” Or maybe “Why are so many Christians and so many churches so focused within their own walls, building multi-million dollar structures and entertaining people rather than living out the heart of Christ in their own community?” I wonder the same thing!

As I regularly encounter the poor, homeless and less fortunate, it is no surprise why they do NOT want to talk about the Christian faith very much at all. Several days ago, I mentioned to a homeless man that I would pray for him and immediately you could just see him flinch as I mentioned this. My mind was curious as to whether or not he might have been thinking “Oh gosh, I knew there had to be strings attached to this guy helping me, now he wants to convert me.” I do not know this for sure, but I have seen enough skepticism by the poor that I could basically see it in his mind. This is tragic for a faith or for a “religion” associated with Jesus.

The issue at hand or heart of the matter is not always making converts or so-called “soul winning” (a term that really bugs me). The emphasis is people. The emphasis is love. The emphasis is care, concern and compassion. When members of our society and culture display such a statement on their vehicle, I would venture to assume that what they want to see from the community associated with Jesus is the heart of Jesus being displayed through people getting out of themselves and genuinely interested in the widow, orphan, poor and impoverished.

For what it is worth, I firmly believe that a vast majority of American churches and those individuals within her walls should participate in a conference call from Jesus stating that He “wants His religion back.” Think about it!