No wonder he was so popular with regular folks.
I have lived in religious communities where the people
cultivated dour looks of pained endurance as they sang dull songs and listened
to dull sermons, and claimed to feel joyful about it. They would insist that heaven is like one
long worship service, and I’ll admit when I was a kid, the worship time sure
seemed like an eternity.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this.
Maybe it’s to say that occasionally, we should change our
perspective of Jesus. Perhaps he was
more than a “suffering servant,” or a religious reformer. He was a shepherd, a storyteller, a healer, a
prophet, and he liked to go to parties.
Maybe it’s to say that it’s okay to enjoy the moment, to
laugh, sing and dance, just like Jesus did.
Perhaps it’s to say that churches ought to “loosen up”
instead of making people feel so guarded and self controlled. Perhaps we could help each other get more in
touch with freedom and joy.
And, I confess I might simply wish to entertain myself by teasing
my friends who take themselves just a little too seriously. Perhaps it’s also a reminder that I should
refrain from taking myself to too seriously.
