Would you:
It seems I had encountered the London Naked Bike Ride on the London Jesus Day! The naked bodies were not particularly attractive, dominated as they were by greying men of uncertain age, with a minor mix of odd decorations. The Christians were at least colourfully dressed, and their age was more in the twenties / thirties. An unthinking stereotype might even suggest the groups should have switched. The crowds that were massed seemed to be equally bemused, confused, and entertained - probably none of which were the reactions the organizers were hoping for. Now the strange thing is that both events appeal to me. No, I don't want to ride naked (although I have no strong aversion to normal-body-nudity), and I have little affinity for making cold approaches to strangers to speak about Jesus. Rather, it's that the messages each group were trying to communicate are messages for which I have a deep concern. The naked people were promoting anti-fracking, reducing fossil fuel usage ("burn fat, not fuel"), and issues related to the challenges of global climate change. These are deeply concerning multi-generational issues of individual and community choice, and take place in a relativist world steeped in promoting the power of the individual. The Christians, on the other hand, were talking of a spiritual reality with real world consequence, about a choice of an absolute, a choice of community, of eternal importance and immediate relevance, a foundation of relationship. The naked'ites tried to use shock tactics to give visibility to an important message; yet their body language (pun intended) was one of joviality, a couldn't-care-less attitude about what people think, enjoying the thrill of "as bare as you dare", with broad smiles all round (even if some looked a bit embarrassed at times). The crowds response was almost universally "hey, where's my camera", and their 10's of thousands of pictures and videos now document those bodies to live on in their homes around the world. The Christian's approach was to give the crowds a good time so as to open a door to discussion; a colourful stage, great music, free water bottles, and slightly embarrassing antics. There was a bit of a cringe factor when personally approached, but overall they fitted in right alongside the buskers and street entertainers. Were they effective? I guess that depends on how you measure it. I'm sure there were some individual observers who were impacted by the events. Equally I am sure that the participants found their confidence boosted by taking action ... action is always so good for affirming one's beliefs. If nothing else it made me think about the juxtaposition of these things. Would Jesus participate if he was in the crowd? How would he respond to naked cyclists passing by a Christian rally in the Square? Would Jesus use the opportunity to speak against the worlds addiction to consumption and the consequent increase in oppression, poverty and suffering? Would Jesus get a band to come and play great music while his disciples walked among the crowds challenging them one by one? For the reality is that Jesus was there. I hear you say "Oh, in Spirit, of course". But I mean it, he really was there, in me, in each Christian that stood in that public place. And so I am left with that thought, would Jesus walk away, ignore, take a picture, sit back and enjoy, talk to someone, be pleased or disturbed, angry, sad, laughing, smiling, following behind, shutting his eyes? For me, Christian that I am, I looked, I listened, and I walked on. For as a stranger in a strange land of relative and selective values, where public nakedness is portrayed as fun, where the Christian rally keeps their backs to the naked riders, the opportunities are fleeting moments of surprise where I don't quite know how to connect. It seems we Christians need to rethink how we express Jesus within. To understand who Jesus is. Does that shock? To say Christians need to rediscover Jesus?
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Why?
Probably the best therapy is to express yourself. Why do you think psychiatrists make you lie on the couch and talk, while all they do is murmur "hmmm", "uhuh", or "go on"? Archives
May 2017
|