I'm Jesus of the outspoken. Jesus had his followers; I have 600, 000 followers on Twitter. It's about leading the way - I am the new Jesus.
So said Katie Hopkins the former reality TV star and controversial columnist when when she spoke at a church media conference yesterday. She remains resolutely unrepentant about her provocative views; she describes herself as a role model for young women because of the strength of her opinions. She's not the only famous person to use Jesus as reference point to describe influence or popularity. John Lennon said of The Beatles: We're more popular than Jesus now.
Hopkins sees herself as a Jesus figure because of perceived influence based on Twitter followers; because she sees herself as leading a movement. Her speech is designed to provoke outrage. But there's another side Katie. She's a woman living with severe epilepsy, to the extent she is regularly admitted to A&E as a result of dislocated joints.
Her illness ended her career in the MI5 and the army; she came to prominence in The Apprentice, with reputation for emotional detachment and ruthlessness. She's a human being caught in media storms about refugees or autism; projecting callous judgments rather than compassion. She is a human being whose frailty and disappointments seem to foster the need to foster self-reliance and judge anything that looks like weakness.
Katie's identification with Jesus smacks of hubris. Yet the irony is that Jesus is the one who meets her, you and me in the messiness of our lives. Katie's response to those things is expressed in public vitriol or silently in private. Yet, Jesus is the one drawing near to us amidst our the resentments, fears, pain contradictions and uncertainties.
So who is Jesus? Is he just one of any number of influential, charismatic or outspoken people who leads the way? Or is he embodiment of God's love who transforms us into agents of altruism and compassion?
Jesus is famous for his teaching about justice, compassion and the use of our money; he told memorable stories about a lost sheep, the good samaritan and wise or foolish bridesmaids. He challenged attitudes and priorities; he brought healing and forgiveness. He was the voice of the voiceless; he debated with the outspoken; he knew their innermost thoughts and loved them. He lived. He died. And that was not the end.
Our reading from Hebrews draws us into a deeper understanding of who he is. He is the fullness of what it means to be human; he is the fullness of God. He shared our humanity that we might know the abundance of life with him, in relationship to others. In him we are forgiven and restored. He loves Katie. And you. And me.
God created us in love and freedom, longing for us to be people of blessing; but knowing we'd made mistakes; or wound hurt others with our selfishness; we carry burdens of failure, self-reliance and perfection which can be overwhelming. God chose to keep loving us; teaching us. He spoke to us in the words of prophets - reminding us of his call to act with justice and mercy; urging us to love God, neighbour and ourself.
Ultimately, God responds our human tendency is to mess things up by becoming one with us. The Word that abided with God from the beginning, the Word that was God dwells with us. Jesus is the reflection of God's glory; the exact imprint of his being. In Jesus, God's love is made perfect in human weakness In him we know God. It is that tangible yet paradoxical truth that sets us free to be fully who we are called to be.
He forgives and restores us for he lived and died and rose again for us. There is no longer any place where God is not: his love reaches out to us in the depths of despair, or failure; in him even death itself is defeated. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not only does his light and glory draw us back to God; but in the power of his Spirit, we find inspiration and hope; the Spirit cries out with us, uniting our prayers with Jesus; drawing us to the light and glory of God.
Who is Jesus? He is the light, glory and love of God who transforms us by liberating us our anger, weakness, fear and self-reliance. He liberates us by taking on the vulnerability and frailty of our human nature. He invites us to love as he loves. We aren't called to be a new Jesus; but we are called to follow him. Literally. Step by step; day by day.
So let us pray that in the power of the Spirit we might witness to the love of God made madifest in Jesus Christ:
O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ your Son our lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in theunity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
© Julie Gittoes 2015