11/20/14

It's kind of hard to believe that so much time has already passed, but yesterday was the next to last inquiry class for the year. The topic was, "Jesus: Who is He for me?"

Unfortunately, I had to miss the B- group meeting because the inquiry class was moved to the same day due to Thanksgiving. I was sad that I had to miss it, but I told Barbara that I'd be there. I also told her about some of the misgivings I had, like my disagreement with some of the Church's positions and my heretical-leaning musings, and she said that it'd be good to get together and talk about it when it's convenient for both of us.

The topic in and of itself was a good one for me in that I've been struggling with that very question for a long time. Fr. Charlie started the night off with some of his ideas about Jesus and how his perception of, and relationship with, Jesus has changed over the years. He also explored the way each of the Gospel writers saw Jesus, and why they focused on certain aspects of his life and teachings, which I thought was interesting. (I wish I'd taken better notes, though.)

Afterwards, Fr. Charlie asked the other facilitators, Frank, Barbara, and Rose, to talk a little about which aspect of Jesus stood out most for them. Frank said that it was Jesus as a social revolutionary that really stood out to him. Barbara said she connected most with Jesus as a healer, of spirit as much as body. And Rose said she appreciated Jesus as a teacher. Then he asked the three of us in the class the same question, and I said that for me, it was definitely Jesus' role as social revolutionary that appealed to me.

Jesus the man challenged the religious and political authorities of his time for being both rigid and corrupt. He ate with tax-collectors and sinners (i.e, unsavoury people), and criticized the greed of the wealthy. He championed the poor and destitute, and he taught about love and forgiveness. He had no love for money, and he attacked the foundation of social classes, preaching that we're all made in God's image, and that what we do to the least among us, we do to God.

Thinking about it some more, I see Jesus as a bodhisattva of sorts, an enlightened being pointing the way towards spiritual awakening. He's divine and descended from royalty, yet he comes to serve rather than to be served. He teaches that, to enter the kingdom of heaven, one must help relieve the suffering of others (i.e., possess a mind suffused with bodhicitta. He lives a life of selflessness, healing the sick, comforting those in need, and preaching compassion, harmlessness, and forgiveness.

I still don't entirely know who Jesus is for me yet, but I think I'm starting to at least form an idea; and the image of Jesus that's forming is of someone worth following.