Monday, June 25, 2007

Clowning in the capital

Clowning in the capitalThe things we do...

This is me and two of my fellow fools for Jesus just before we performed a clowning routine on Trafalgar Square as part of a Jesus Festival we ran there on Saturday.

Colourful, eh (am I pretty in pink?)

Ironically, this morning someone showed me a book of less colourful photos of the Jesus Army which has just been published: one of those arty style books of black and white photos, ‘one man's voyage of discovery’ style.

In this case, it seemed like ‘one man’s voyage of discovery with a group of obsessive fanatics who’ve taken all leave of their senses’ if the rather sinister feel of the dark, forbidding photos of strange looking people (being ‘religious’ i.e. odd) was anything to go on.

I think the photographer was genuinely trying to express the Jesus Army ‘as it is’. And the worldly wiseman who wrote the preface was trying to be generous when he admitted that we don’t like being called ‘a cult’ – though he wasn’t generous enough to find a different epithet.

Ok, so we continue to have ‘cult status’ in some circles. If that means we’re totally committed, so be it. We live in a culture that sees any commitment as anathema, so I guess it make us stand out.

But what I object to is the insinuation that being totally committed to Jesus means we must be – well – fools. Religion, apparently, must equal delusion. What’s more, we’re sinister fools, because we’re trying to suck others into our delusion.

Let me say this: some of the most intelligent, sensitive, incisive, generous, deep, impressive, compassionate, creative and wonderful people I know are in the Jesus Army.

If they’re fools, they’re wise fools.

Rather like Jesus.

And let’s face it, art hasn’t been kind to Him (all those effeminate, miserable, stained glass windows... it’s a PR disaster!)

All of which reminds me of something Jesus said:

God will bless you when people insult you and say cruel things about you, all because you are a follower of the Son of Man... You are in for trouble when everyone says good things about you. (Luke 6:22 & 26)

I’d rather be a clown for Jesus than anyone else’s wise man.

5 comments:

Just teejay said...

Colourful, eh (am I pretty in pink?)

Do you really want an answer to that?

; ) The TJ

n0rma1 said...

No, I s'pose not really...

HR?I said...

hehe i chose it especially for you...

Anonymous said...

I had said that rather tongue in cheek I guess normal,Pink isn't my thing as you've probably gathered.Sounds like the clowns thing was good tho.

; ) The TJ

s0upy said...

Yes, so be it. Let's be as radical as we know how and take the consequences.

I'll always remember it being said that it's impossible to out-radical Jesus. I guess if anyone even attempts to come close to his radically proclaimed and lived-out lifestyle, then there'll be many onlookers who see it as dubious, or even cultish. Just the way it is.