ChosenRebel's Blog

Fellow blogger Evan Curry, posted this “poem-ish” (his word) offering on September 16 and I thought it was worth passing on. Evan appended the following comment to his post:

[“I put this poem-ish piece as a “note” on my Facebook once, and I decided to post it here because it is a good reminder to me that the Jesus I used to follow was not the true Jesus at all. This Jesus demands my all.”]

Amen.

“The Jesus way
wedded to the Jesus truth brings us
the Jesus life.”
Eugene Peterson

I used to like Jesus…

written by evan curry

I really used to like Jesus. I mean, really, I did.

I used to like the Jesus that never challenged my relationships.

I used to like that Jesus.

I used to like the Jesus who didn’t care what I did.

I really used to like that Jesus.

I really liked Jesus when he didn’t ask me to hate my mother, brother, or sister and follow him; or when he didn’t challenge my allegiance to anything or anyone but him. I really used to like the Jesus who was cool with me taking but never giving.

I really did use to like Jesus.

I really used to like the Jesus who never asked questions, who was my homeboy and my buddy, and who always told me what I wanted to hear.

I really, really used to like Jesus.

I used to like the Jesus that was just concerned with my own, personal spirituality and was some type of mystic leader.

I used to like him a lot.

I used to like the Jesus who never asked me to carry my cross and follow him even to my death; or asked me to always turn the other cheek and not take vengeance; or to give up everything I have, give it to the poor, and follow him; or heal the blind; or live in harmony with one another; or love him with all my heart, soul, mind, strength and love my neighbor as myself. I used to like the Jesus who never came off of the cross, who never rose again, and who never asked me to carry out his mission to the world.

I really, really, really used to like that Jesus.

I used to like Jesus…