(continued)
There is something to be said for simplicity.
Often, I try to make the message of Jesus palatable by adding to it. I did it as a pastor, and I still do it today. I want people to accept Jesus, so I tether him to a pop culture reference. I view the Gospel as a hip-hop song that just needs a catchy hook to climb the charts.
It's an exercise in complicating Jesus.
What about you? Have you ever done this? Have you ever tried to help the Holy Spirit by being his cultural liaison? There's no doubt he's thrilled by the way you distressed the font and changed all the s’s to z’s, but I don't think it's really necessary.
The truth is your children don’t need you to make Jesus cool for them. Your co-worker doesn’t need you to modernize Jesus. Your church doesn’t need you to explain that Jesus probably would have worn baggy jeans. None of that matters.
At the end of the day, simple is best.
Even when you hated him, Jesus loved you. You were separated from God, but he changed all of that. He died in your place. Now God forgives you and welcomes you into his family.
For the sake of Jesus' sorrowful passion, God has mercy on us and on the whole world.
Straight, simple, to the point.
It might not make for a cool mail piece or a trendy Evite, but it’s the message that changed history.
And as a bonus, it makes for a killer T-shirt.
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