Plague Journal, A Fan Of The Man
Granted it is unusual for someone who insists that Jesus is not God, or ‘a god’ on Easter morning to nevertheless be a fan. Yes, I am a big fan of Jesus, one of his proponents, one who is convinced by his message and by his style of encounter with his contemporaries …. Just as Nietzsche was “a fan” of Jesus despite his deep and intractable resentment, even rage against the church, I too find Jesus compelling notwithstanding all that has attached to Jesus basic teaching.
Do we even know what Jesus basic teachings were/are at this point?
I am in no position to answer that. I am not a New Testament textual scholar, and even they can offer an opinion, not a definite “yes” or “no.” I do answer though for myself, for my own life. In truth, every day that I awaken and face challenges similar to those you face, I prove or disprove to myself that approaching life with a stance of openness is fruitful or not, tends to produce a satisfactory outcome or not….. There are plenty of cases where the final outcome is mixed, indeterminate. On balance though….. the beatitudes*, as counter intuitive as they certainly are to the “winner take all, and the Devil take the hindmost” ethos of these times, are a sound paradigm for mental/intellectual health and flexibility. If you want a productive life, it is better if you are not an ass.
You will not find me worshiping Jesus as I think that misses the point. Jesus died as you and I will die. Everything that lives dies, — no exceptions. The consequences of one ordinary individual’s life, a man without the advantage of Roman citizenship, provided in his teaching, a point of view that anchored Western civilization. The anchor held through the years of slow motion collapse of Rome’s empire, through the “dark-ages,” (AD 500 – 1470) years of black plague, climate catastrophe, famine, and lack of good roads.
I would lay odds that we are where-we-are today, with wide-spread relative prosperity, the ascendance of science, respect for reason — for the most part is due to the teaching of Jesus. Yes, it is more complicated than than that. However, when you look at the ideas; the notion that women and children are worthy of equal respect as human beings; that every person is of equal 
worth irrespective of socio-economic status, — you have the intellectual foundation for democratic conduct of public affairs. And a great deal more.
This morning as I perused The Morning Briefing I received from the New York Times, I paused when my eye fell upon this image. The photo is of Easter Morning worship at a outdoor theater in Franklin Kentucky, under plague conditions. A part of me found the scene familiar, understandable. Another part of me, the side of my mind and heart that speaks in the words that I have just written, — finds the image weird, out-of-place, incomprehensible.
*The Beatitudes according to Matthews gospel:
³Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the Earth.
⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
⁷Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
