Barcode Jesus
So as a statement about how we've commercialized a man that was a freakin' bad ass revolutionary, this guy created a giant picture of the face of Christ out of bar codes. Crazy.So I've been spending some time on this lately, how we've made Jesus a product, not unlike detergent or shampoo or Old Spice Red Zone deodorant (yes!). And then we deliver catchy marketing slogans about said product, things like "You've got a God shaped hole in your heart that only Jesus can fill." At that point we hope market savvy consumer says "Hey, that sounds like a great product that might offer something I don't have. My boyfriend sucks and my meditation time has been sorely lacking, so I might as well try this Jesus guy."
And maybe something amazing happens. Maybe the Spirit fills market savvy consumer in a way that blows their mind, and their life is never the same. Or maybe religion seeps in, and after a while they look at their life and say "Wow, not what I expected. The guy I met in my single's ministry still tries to get in my pants, and my heart still hurts. This product must be defective, like that dandruff shampoo I tried. Still got little white flakes, and my life still sucks." So like any good consumer, they move on and sample other religious products, seeing if there's another one that might meet their need a little better.
Why do we do this? Are we so desperate to replicate popular culture that we are afraid the story of this radical won't be relevant unless we make him trendy? So I look at this picture, and smile at this dude's creativity, and wonder why I ever feel it necessary to make Jesus into anything other than what he is...the Son of God.
May 21, 2007 at 5:13 PM
Good one. top
May 23, 2007 at 1:14 PM
amen, and amen. top
May 31, 2007 at 10:17 PM
But ...
Isn't your opening comment commercializing Jesus as well? When you make the Holy Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, into "a man who was a badass revolutionary", what image are YOU trying to sell?
Just sayin' ... top