Monday, September 21, 2009

Is Jesus marketable?

Now there is an obvious answer to the question, is Jesus marketable? Obviously, on the market you will find t-shirts, music, books, etc. with Jesus as the main point not to mention all the festivals in the summer and conferences held throughout the year. Jesus and Christianity is not left unscathed by capitalism. I fear that Capitalism has influenced our churches more than simply getting us to make a buck off of Christ. Instead of making disciples, the church has made consumers. If they don't like the product or service at this church, just go to the one down the block. I have heard some Christians say we are in sales, we are selling the Gospel, Jesus Christ. Is Jesus really marketable?
As a product, Jesus stinks. If we were to be authentic, we would have a Jesus doll with a string in the back. Pull the string and Jesus says, "If anyone wants to follow me, you must take up your cross." or maybe, "you must lose your life to gain it." or "blessed are the poor, the meek, the persecuted." We could have set of dolls--add to it the Paul doll who tells us "everything is crap compared to Jesus" or "have the mind of Christ who obeyed to death."
I believe there is a marketable Jesus--the cheap grace Jesus--He forgives and loves but never mentions any of the lines above. But the love and forgiveness of Christ leads us to losing our life for his sake, taking up a cross, being peacemakers and meek. If his love doesn't lead us there, then perhaps we have not truly experienced his love.
How do we market a Jesus who calls us to be peacemakers, meek, to lay down our lives? Jesus as a product doesn't work. But as a Savior, Jesus rocks. As a Kingdom builder, Jesus is second to noone. As a God, Jesus is above all else.
I am not sure I am called to market Jesus. I am called to be conformed to his image. I am called to be His hands and feet, which if we remember correctly walked this earth, healed and touched people, and were nailed to the cross. He then rose again which is where all our hope lies. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps we are salespeople. I am finding enough challenge in just being like Jesus. I don't know when I will find the time to learn sales.

2 comments:

  1. i truly experience God's love everyday. i seldom turn that into a more Christ-like life. i try and fail all the time. i want God to run my life in the ways Jesus lives, but i struggle so with letting him take my choices away. i don't know if people see something they want when they look at the way i let Jesus live in me, but if they like what they see, i hope they buy in. is that marketing?

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  2. I guess my view of Christianity is we are not selling God's peace or truth or hoping people buy into our faith or salvation through Jesus Christ. I see Christianity as the in breaking of God's Kingdom--God's reality we were created to live in--into a broken world which has lied to us and told us this brokenness is reality. When I live out the radical love, the outrageous forgiveness, and severe mercy of God I am a beggar letting other beggars know where to find bread. I am a rescued soul reaching out to rescue another soul. Perhaps we are speaking about the same thing from different angles.

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