A True Radical

Everybody today calls themselves a radical, whether they are from the right, from the left or in between. It is a shame that an authentic true rebel, our Lord Jesus Christ, is hardly ever recognized as such. People forget that in the time His teachings about love, tolerance and forgiveness were considered acts of confliction. No matter what century He would be living in, He would be considered an outcast of society and His preaching and His thoughts considered radical.

Religion tries to water Him down. They tend to trend toward making Him a ‘nice guy’ rather than the ‘fire and brimstone’ man He actually was. In a world marked by suffering and war, He sought out forgiveness, justice and inclusion. This was against everything society stood for at the time. His way of living was rebuked and ridiculed by His peers to the very point of debauchery. Jesus never saw His ministry as anything but peaceful. He was there to announce Himself, after all, He was God made flesh. He was there to be a point of contention, to get people thinking about how they contributed to the greater good. When one steps on a thorn, it stings for the first few seconds. Then, as we retract our foot, the pain subsides and we feel relieved. This is much how He had to plan; to make us see our failings, to die unto oneself and to rise again as new beings – rapt in the breath of truth and redemption.

Saint John Paul II once said, “Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence”. It was and is this sense of nervousness, uneasiness as we approach our Lord that is quintessential in our rebirth. One must first pass through the fire to get to the ocean. Jesus taught that if we were to unite as a society, there would be much trial and disagreement. This displacement and misunderstanding makes us each grow in our own way. We come closer to completing a friendship and a kinship to each other in indescribable means. Only God knows how we will live and when we will die. This is blasphemy to a non-believer and even more, considered beyond extreme to a religious Pharisee.

Remember that thought when you try to put Jesus into a box. He was not meant to be confined, He was meant to live outside the realm of possibility. If this makes you feel uncomfortable, then His words have meaning. He was put on this Earth to be at times, both lion and lamb. He will be remembered for altering our destiny forever and therefore be forever known as a true radical. May the wind be forever at your backs, may He bring you closer to understanding the nature of His kingdom and may His peace be with you, always.