i guess it’s not news that jesus is contested. he has been claimed over the centuries to support a whole range of horrendous ideologies of domination and exclusion. the current co-opting of jesus for a hideous nationalism is just the latest. don’t be fooled! the thing i find quite helpful about it is that it shows up that there are multiple takes, so you’ve got to stop and think what your story is and how you know it has merit. i have a book coming out on jesus next year – more about that very soon – i didn’t write it for this reason but it seems pretty timely.

anyway all that to say i loved dan pierce’s post on instgram and facebook riffing on the ‘that’s not my…’ book series. here’s what he says

The That’s Not My… series is a collection of children’s books created by Fiona Watt and illustrated by Rachel Wells.

Each book follows a simple, repetitive pattern—“That’s not my ___…”—with different textures on every page for children to explore. “That’s not my puppy…its tail is too fluffy” and so on. The final page always reveals the correct character or object (“That’s my ___!”).

I made my own as I think about the worrying rise of Christian Nationalism fuelled by rogue evangelists co-opting the gospel for white supremacy, identity politics, and hate speech.

That’s not my Jesus. He’s too white and British.

That’s not my Jesus. He seems to hate anyone who is different to him.

That’s not my Jesus. He seems to want us to forget the story of the Good Samaritan.

That’s not my Jesus. He seems full of contempt for refugees and asylum seekers rather than identifying with them as one who has lived that story.

That’s not my Jesus. He seems to think Christmas is about division and suspicion of otherness.

That’s not my Jesus. He says empathy is for the weak rather than saying, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Wait. Look.

That’s my Jesus! He teaches that welcoming the stranger (foreigner, xenos) is to welcome Him.

That’s my Jesus. He says “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies…if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?

That’s my Jesus. He said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” an invitation open to everyone regardless of their background or social standing.

That’s my Jesus. He says the first shall be last and the last first.

That’s my Jesus. He told stories emphasizing that love and compassion should transcend ethnic and cultural divisions.

That’s my Jesus. He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.