The Legacy of the Revolutionary Jesus Christ
By: Sam Young
Tags: Social Justice, Politics, Christianity, BlackLivesMatter, History

Apparently there’s some controversy over the famous line “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). There’s a story that’s been going around since the 15th century that eye of a needle is a gate in Jerusalem that was too small for an encumbered camel to pass through, therefore requiring merchants to remove their baggage before entering the city. This rationalization is apparently quite common, but has no evidence to support it. There’s another interesting theory that “camel” is actually a misprint of the Greek word “kamilos”, which means rope. This explanation is unnecessary given the parallels to an “elephant passing through the eye of a needle”, another common metaphor at the time. Regardless, the textual evidence weighs heavily in support of the most straightforward interpretation: it’s basically impossible for a rich person to get into heaven.

It’s not hard to imagine why the “gate” interpretation became so popular. People have been accruing vast pools of wealth in the name of Christianity for centuries. While religion is seen by some people as having a perverse influence on normally rational human beings, I tend to see it more so as a framework people use to justify what they were wanting to do anyway. While the mass murder and ethnic cleansing of Jews, Cathars, Balts, Slavs, and indigenous Americans can certainly be seen in a religious light, it’s often simpler to view it in terms of domination, hatred, and command over resources. I find it much easier than trying to wrap my head around how “love thy neighbor” becomes kill thy neighbor, or how “blessed are the poor” becomes blame the poor and exploit them. Needless to say, there’s almost always a difference between the core tenets of a faith and how it’s practiced in the real world.

It irritates me quite a bit when people act like the crusades were the last religious conflict Christians were responsible for when I grew up with people who remember the Bosnian Genocide.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a Christian, nor was I raised in a Christian household. My interest in Jesus stems from his role as a historical and cultural figure, and my viewpoint on his belief system is essentially that of an outsider. In this sense, I see his legacy in terms of the philosophy he devised regarding nonviolence and humanism and the influence this has had on other philosophies, social, and political movements.

We live in a time when more considerate investigations of history are literally toppling a number of historical figures various cultures once held up as core to the foundations of their society. Reactionary politicians are abusing this trend to promote a narrative that social justice movements are working to destroy our basic institutions and values. I think this is demonstrably false: opposition to slavery and other forms of brutal domination are what make our current societal path worthy of preservation. To smooth out the transition away from toxic elements of our culture, I think it would be especially helpful to reinvigorate our support for figures and movements that can be accepted by all as exemplars of the progress humanity has made morally.

I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is such a figure. He is possibly the most iconic leader in world history, and elements of his message have proven inspiring for people across all sorts of cultural and religious lines. Mohandas Gandhi considered him “one of the greatest teachers humanity ever had”. The Dalai Lama uses the gospels as an analogy for his own Buddhist teachings, and considers Jesus to be a bodhisattva. Muslims see Jesus as “the word of God”, a muslim prophet without sin. Hindus see him as a saint. Bahá’u’lláh describes Jesus as one of the manifestations of God alongside Moses, Mohammed, Zoroaster, and himself. Sikhs see him as a devotee or prophet with parallels to the religion’s founder Guru Nanak. Even Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, a diatribe on the perceived dangers of religiosity, has called Jesus “morally superior”, and even believes that he would be atheist if he were alive today.

Personally, I think there are a number of moral universals that attract people across so many different cultures to the symbolism of Jesus of Nazareth. It comes down to his humanity acting as a mirror for his divinity. He embodies the oppressed, the downtrodden, outcasts, and the poor. From the Torres Strait Islands to the Great Sioux Nation, he is seen as a liberator, a mediator, a harmonizer, and a prince of peace even to those who do not consider themselves Christians. The ministry of Jesus has given many people a framework for understanding ongoing liberation movements like Black Lives Matter and feminism.

At the core of his teachings is perhaps the most effective and influential form of activism ever devised, nonviolent direct action.This concept was brought to the forefront of the 20th century through the courageous work of Gandhi, who was deeply influenced by his correspondence with the Christian Anarchist author Leo Tolstoy. Gandhi alongside writers like Henry David Thoreau in turn inspired the Christian minister and theologian Martin Luther King Jr. in his monumental work on civil disobedience. At the very root of the civil rights movement, abolitionist leaders like Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglas used the philosophy of Jesus to strengthen their resolve and inform their message of liberation and justice.

Harriet Tubman was called “Moses” as a liberator of hundreds of enslaved people

The purpose of this article is not to advocate for the exceptionalism of so-called Judeo-Christian values at the expense of other traditions. Personally, I believe a lot more time should be spent illuminating the compendium of human knowledge uncovered by human beings whose roots originate outside of the “Western” tradition. Rather, I want to illustrate how blatantly false the idea is that the advancement of social justice hinges on throwing out the past. Being part of a lineage of ideas is essential; standing on the shoulders of giants is what enables us to see farther than our predecessors. Additionally, I think it’s important for people to reconcile with these figures and symbols in a way that allows us to form more inclusive communities. Many are attracted to mega churches and other garish displays of exploitation because of the “crisis of loneliness” that leaves people dead in their homes for days with no one to check in on them. Conversely, for others the church has served as a painful reminder of the alienation and rejection they experienced from their own communities for merely being themselves.

Las Casas was a Spanish friar who used a religious framework to condemn the atrocities committed by the conquistadors in the Americas

Part of the hard work of our generation is reconciling disparate elements of our society and giving people experiencing deep pain a chance to heal. Apparently, it’s possible for people to claim that Jesus supports genocidal violence and wanton greed despite all textual evidence speaking to the contrary. It makes more sense to me to emphasize the stories of Jesus associating with pariahs of the time like sex workers, lepers, and Samaritans. Specifically, I think that the discourse around Trump has consistently failed to take into account the symbolism of his moral leprosy, and how people who feel wretched and discarded by society can relate to a movement capable of forgiving even the most repulsive and sinful person imaginable. I believe that many individuals see the fire and brimstone of the social justice movement and fear that they will be impossible to forgive.

The Gospel has some problematic elements to be sure. Namely, that homosexuality is labeled as unnatural and sinful, while trans people are not mentioned at all. While I have found some willing to argue that Jesus supported LGBTQ+ people, it’s not particularly surprising that a nearly 2000 year old document set in the Levant does not match our current understanding of morality. What is surprising is that this document holds such immense influence over people to this day. The legacy of Jesus is inextricable from the foundations of our modern world, and much of its impact has been positive. It is a common point of departure that people all over the world can use to communicate with each other about human universals and morality.

Despite the harm that has been done in the name of Christianity, I see no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We learn what we can from the past, and keep moving forward with its triumphs. That is the only way we make progress. In the same way, love and forgiveness is the only way we can ever heal. If there’s one thing we can all learn from Jesus, perhaps it is to resist the mores of our society to do what is truly righteous. With our world polarized as it is, it can feel like a betrayal of our values to try to reach out to someone who once wounded us or the people we care about. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Frederick Douglas: I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong. When we make change, it needs to be universal. No one gets left behind.

Just for fun, here’s some gospel

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