Something recently reminded me of the WWJD bracelet fad. For a time, you could buy WWJD bracelets in any number of fine retail outlets. This was not because there had been another great awakening, but because the retailers new a good product when they saw it. I had one. It was black with white letters. I did not often wear it, but when I did, it did not do much for me except help me identify with a certain social group.
“What Would Jesus Do” was supposed to be a reminder to keep you on the straight and narrow. But I wonder about the meaning as it was understood by most people.
Did it not often have more the connotation of “how would Jesus get out of this one?”
It seems much more fitting to think of other role models if you are trying to escape a sticky situation.
“What would Chuck Norris do?”
“What would Macgyver do?”
“What would Jack Bauer do?”
"what would Brian Boitano do?"
I had a high school friend and classmate who, one day, wore a bracelet she had made that said WWJND?
“What does that mean,” I asked.
“What would Jesus NOT do!”
I thought that was hilarious. Thinking back on it, though I know she meant it for satiric purposes, I think it is much more on the money. What would Jesus NOT do? Wait till he is in a pinch and then try to get himself out of it. What did he do? Reach out to the sick, the poor, the outcasts, the rejected, and bringing the good news – bring the Kingdom to earth by demonstrating God’s love, compassion, kindness and mercy to others.
Too much of Christianity seems focused on “sin management” (a term introduced to me by a friend). Like hazardous waste clean-up, you try really, really hard to not sin, but then when you crack and mess up, you promise to not do it again and ask for forgiveness. Repeat.
Shouldn’t we instead be focused on how to not get into those bad situations in the first place?
Structure your life around whatever is good, pure, holy, etc. Fill up your life with the positive things so that there is no time for the negative.
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