My Supplemental Jesus

Last updated on: June 26, 2008 at 2:25 pm by David Hayward

My Supplemental Jesus 2008-06-26T14:25:17-04:00 David Hayward

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I want to consider our supplemental Jesus. Most of our writing and talking is supplemental in nature. We get so excited with and carried away by the next new idea, the next new leader, the next new book, the next new method. But there is really nothing truly new about it all. They are accruals upon the past. They are installments on a faulty loan. They are renovations on a condemned building. It is our attempt to stretch an already stretched old wineskin. We customize what we already have. Like an old car that has been condemned to the scrap heap… it doesn’t work! We add new parts and detail it, but it still doesn’t work! We need a new vehicle. Or no vehicle at all in fact. For the past 12 years I have been deeply suspicious of any new method that comes down the pike, any new book that has the next best strategy. I always feel like a rabbit in Watership Down: I’m being baited with fresher carrots, that’s all! Anyone with any common sense should be able to tell when they are being swindled. We all should be able to tell when we are being bamboozled.

No more strategies. No more visions. No more methods. No more renovations, customizations, and tweak jobs. Please! Jesus is not a supplement to boost my quality of life. He promises me death. And the life he does promise is not an enhanced life but a resurrected one, which is something totally other and probably beyond the domain of sensual experience. And this is what I’m holding out for.

thought

Previous Post

June 26, 2008

oops typo

Next Post

June 27, 2008 illustration friday: "fierce"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category art cartoons cartoons 2 freebie music one minute message podcast Sophia teaching technology thought

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 March 2006 February 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Stephen Peter Paul John