Years ago I wrote about the proliferation of Jesus junk. I was discouraged by the industry which peddles God merchandize as an alleged aid to being a witness to good news.
You’d think I’d crossed over to the dark side. The kind lady who owned the local Christian bookstore just about tore my head off the next time I sauntered in to check out the latest album from Keith Green. (I said this was a long time ago).
Jesus junk is still a hot commodity with U.S. retailers allegedly selling about $4.6 billion worth a year.
“Jesus Christ wants to be your friend” is not an invitation to check out the Saviour’s status on Facebook but an evangelistic T-shirt copping the language of said social networking phenomenon.
Some make the case that while Jesus might not have worn a T-shirt, he did use what was available to talk to strangers. Parables about salt and light for instance; stories drawn from common parlance for common people. So the argument suggests that Jesus’ followers ought to go and do likewise, taking what people are talking about, to talk about Jesus.
While it’s one thing to suggest that rain is a sign of God’s impartiality or that a lily is a reminder that God will make sure there’s a shirt on our back, the crass imitation of secular culture in the name of Christ suggests that Christians can’t be bothered to be creative in fulfilling the Great Commission to go and share.
Many Christians are indeed radically innovative. They engage the culture with fresh ways of being the church. They find in doctrine the opportunity to not only form their faith but to inform others and even make it attractive.
Others, sadly, only find the deal in the doctrine, whether theist and atheist.
Take Bart Centre. He loves his two dogs but isn’t keen on God. Nevertheless, he is aware of the notion of the Rapture, a moment as long as the twinkling of an eye when certain Christians interpreting the Book of Revelation believe the living and the dead in Christ will be taken up to Heaven prior to the terrible days of Tribulation with their hail, fire, locusts and such.
So for US$110, Bart and company (www.eternal-earthbound-pets.com) will care for your pet in the event of the Rapture, until either the pet or the world comes to an end. Only one pet per residence will be saved. Additional pets will cost $15 each.
They might be criticized for capitalizing on a belief he does not hold. You may smell a scam preying on someone’s love for both Rex and the great King. Then again, P.T. Barnum’s adage that a sucker is born every minute comes to mind.
Christians who are tempted to don that iPray hat as they listen to their iPod should pause to remember the other old adage that what matters is not what you wear but how you walk.
Bob Ripley is a syndicated religion columnist from London, Ont.