Jesus Coddles Me, This I Know

Today's post from Jesus Creed by John Frye is a must-read:
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Take Jesus Back for America.

Every national election cycle sparks the Christian quest to "take America back for God." That seems backward to me, and somewhat redundant; redundant in that all nations already belong to God and are like dust on his scales (Isaiah 40); backward because the real quest is to take Jesus back for America.

The spiritual ills of the country are not traceable to letting go of its grip on God. Having Native American blood (Cherokee), I am not sold on our nation's "Christian" grip on God. Genocide is not a Beatitude. I am grateful, though, for many godly people woven in the fabric of our country's history.

Our current problem is that the church jettisoned the revolutionary Jesus of the Gospels in exchange for a Jesus-just-like-me. We have a Jesus who wants us to be safe and our kids nice and our lives comfortable and, if possible, convenient; an English speaking, TNIV Jesus. The only wood this Jesus carries is boards for the white picket fence. Ignoring Jesus' social history while obsessing over theological verities, we removed all revolutionary aspects from Jesus' life. We created a comfortable chameleon Jesus who blends in with everything American. We cannot tolerate a Jesus who scares us witless. When we sing "Jesus loves me this I know" we mean "Jesus coddles me this I know." Like most things American, Jesus is another product to sell or own; another religiously-packaged commodity that we put on the cluttered shelves of our lives.

Jesus is Alka-seltzer for the soul; he's our pain-reliever Jesus.
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The entire post can be read here.