Dear Editor,

Every Easter I ponder the concept that Jesus Christ’s nature and teachings even left John the Baptist, who believed in him as the saviour, troubled by his apparently contradictory version of the Hebraic messiah, with whom John had been raised.

Perhaps most perplexing was the Biblical Jesus’s revolutionary teaching of non-violently offering the other cheek as the proper response to being physically assaulted by one’s enemy. The Biblical Jesus also most profoundly washed his disciples’ feet, the act clearly revealing that he took corporeal form to serve.

Followers of Islam and Judaism generally believe that Jesus did exist but was not divine [albeit Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet]. After all, how could or why would the Divine lower himself/itself down to the level of humans (and even lower, by some other standards)? More so, how could the Divine not be a physical conqueror — far less allow himself/itself to be publicly stripped naked, severely beaten, and murdered in such a belittling manner?

Yet, for many of us, all of that makes Jesus even greater, not less divine.

So very much of institutional ‘Christianity’ (that most resistant to Christ’s fundamental teachings of non-violence, compassion, and non-wealth) seems to insist upon creating its Creator’s nature in its own fallible and often angry, vengeful image; for example, proclaiming at publicised protests that “God hates” such-and-such group of people. Such ‘Christianity’ damages, and sometimes even ruins, the beautiful message Jesus expounded.

Jesus, aka God incarnate, was about non-violence, genuine compassion, love, and non-wealth. His teachings and practices epitomise so much of the primary component of socialism — do not hoard gratuitous wealth in the midst of great poverty.

Yet they are not practised by a significant number of ‘Christians’, likely including many who support callous politicians standing for very little or nothing Jesus taught and represents. They should consider that the biblical Jesus would not have rolled his eyes and sighed: “Oh well, I’m against everything the politician stands for, but what can you do when you dislike even more what his political competition stands for?”

Meantime, some of the best humanitarians I’ve met or heard about were/are atheists or agnostics who, quite ironically, make better examples of many of Christ’s teachings than too many institutional ‘Christians’. Conversely, some of the worst human beings I’ve met or heard about are the most devout believers/preachers of fundamental biblical theology.

Frank Sterle Jr

fgsjr2013@gmail.com