Don’t get depressed about it, but we are over half way done with Secret Jesus week!
Jesus Funk
Do you think Jesus ever got depressed? We know he struggled quite a bit as an adult, and for good reason. But what about as a teenager? I can imagine him feeling blue, lonely, confused, even depressed about things, like most teens do at one time or another. Maybe he was feeling unappreciated, or misunderstood by his siblings or parents. Maybe everyone else had something important to do for a big holiday but for whatever reason he didn’t and that led to him feeling left out.
Who is Real?
If Jesus is real, if he is capable of complete understanding, complete mercy and compassion, then it isn’t due to his academic genius or his theological brilliance. There were plenty of people high in both those categories during his day. It is due to his empathy, his knowing what it is humans go through. If he didn’t experience it himself, (which in truth it’s likely he didn’t experience every single feeling and emotion ever known to man) then he at least was able to discern and feel it when other people were going through something. And he learned from it. Not just how to be empathetic but how to move past the feeling into a new and better place.
That’s the Jesus I like and relate to. That is the Jesus I admire and want to be more like as I continue to grow.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman, who is glad he isn’t the Pope.
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Sorry for the late reply, but was on holiday for a bit. I stay in Johannesburg even though I still see myself as a farm girl from the Freestate 🙂 It really was so refreshing to find someone who isn’t scared to humanize Jesus and think of Him in a different way than most people do. I love it 🙂
Hi again Charlene, I read a bit of your blog about going on your five day travels and being reminded of how much you love nature. You definitely made me think South Africa would be an incredible place to visit someday!
I started as a Christian when I was an adult, age 21, and the first thing (and pretty much the last) that drew me to Christianity was the stories of Jesus as a real human. I had minimal interest in what I call the government of the afterlife. What compelled me then and compels me now is the teaching of Jesus on how to live and love here on planet earth, in this life.
The more I thought about it the more I realize Jesus had to learn everything he taught, those lessons did not appear out of the blue. So I thought I would imagine instances in his life that might have taught him some of those things. I am glad you like the drawings!
South Africa definitely is an incredible place to visit 🙂 even though some people think they will be eaten by lions in the streets… he he
I’ve been a Christian since I was little and grew up with the standard Christian principles. But when I eventually got to do with real life outside my small little world I had as a child, I realised everything just didn’t make sense to me anymore… for instance the amount of people that are supposedly going to hell even if they really are good people, but just because their beliefs are slightly different than mine. But what I am thankful for in Christianity is also that I got to know the story of Jesus. The way He showed us to live makes sense to me and in essence I think we could bring heaven to earth if we ended up trying His way of life…
And I agree it definately would have taken a few trials and tribulations (showed through your drawings) 🙂 The fact that He was only a human though living a more godly live, makes me belief that it is possible for us too… That’s just what I think in anyway 🙂 he he
Charlene, I definitely think his life is an example of one that can be lived true and courageously, and as long as we have good examples to follow, we can do it ourselves as well.
I really love these Secret Jesus posts 🙂
Thanks Charlene! I love that you come all the way from South Africa to visit my blog! Where in SA are you?
Was Jesus ever left out of Thanksgiving? Eh, not so much. But He’s most certainly often left out at Christmas.
You might be right, but there are plenty who pay a lot of attention to Jesus and church around Christmas time as well.