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Followers
Are we all in the wrong place? Do we find our religion gathered in a building? A glimpse of a recent television series depicted Jesus at the head of what might be best described as a rabble - a rabble who are, literally, following Jesus.
Should we be shocked about such a presentation? Or is it simply that, for obvious reasons, there were no buildings where 'followers' of Jesus could meet? Whatever the reasons, the ordinary (if there is such a thing) citizens of the time must have found it an unsettling experience to have a perhaps undignified and noisy mob roaming the countryside. It also seems unlikely that the Romans, an occupying army after all, found this particularly acceptable. We ourselves have seen what can happen when large crowds of football supporters walk to and from football grounds. A spark is sometimes enough to ignite an uncontrollable fire; an undisciplined riot.
We modern followers of Jesus for the most part are nothing like the followers of Jesus in New Testament times, are we? We meet quietly in church, or for
non-worshipping activities in church halls dedicated to church organisations, or hirings or non-church organisations which can be relied on not to create unacceptable behavior.
If we think like that then we are in danger, I suggest, of completely missing the point. Christianity has been both quiet and tumultuous in different times and in different places. Recently, someone was asked what differences he had found between Judaism and Christianity which made him choose Christianity. He might have gone into a great discussion about the circumstantial, philosophical and theological reasons. His replies to each of the questions was the same. Simply "Jesus".
Bob Mclean
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