Jesus, Coca-Cola and a Hitchhiker
One thing is for sure, we Christians are very professional at being "up-tight" over the most sophomoric things.
Good Friday's news cycle featured another episode of Christian 'fervor of unrest' over a cultural affinity toward Jesus. A simple can of Coca-Cola has lead to another movie controversy. An Italian movie entitled "Seven Kilometers from Jerusalem" had its Easter weekend release canceled because of an innocent scene involving a hitchhiking Jesus enjoying a refreshing can of Coca-Cola. What blasphemy.
I haven't seen the entire movie. From the material that was offered me for viewing, the film's premise is a travel epic featuring a modern man trapped in today's culture attempting to relate to the historical person and character of Jesus. To all of the 'legalists', I'm sure the movie will not dot every "i", nor cross every "t" doctrinally. Relax; breath in, breath out.
The bigger question of concern is, "Why are we complaining about an expressed fascination toward our loving Savior, when we live inside of a post-modern culture such as today?" Shouldn't we be glad to have a film asking questions involving Jesus and seeking spiritual answers for the stressed mid-life soul? Talk about straining a gnat and swallowing a camel.
The great moral dilemma the film portrays is Jesus sipping from a can of Coca-Cola. The scene proved to be too much for the legal 'mind-binders' at the beverage bottling company. Coca-Cola initially expressed some lame 'cover-concern' surrounding copy right licensing. It wasn't until you read deeper in the release that you discover a quote that references an actual 'fear' of offending Christians during the holiest of weekends.
Congratulations. For a culture that expresses its interest in Jesus, but has a very rough time receiving anything from His church, we should be overjoyed to have successfully positioned ourselves in today's post-modern world as disciples who now 'intimidate' people into righteousness.
I can't answer for you, but Jesus drinking a Coke does not offend me. What then, would it be better if it was a glass of merlot, or a frosty beer? Remember he's riding in a Jeep not celebrating at a wedding party, no open containers.
Alright, if you're a corporate stock holder for Pepsi-Cola I can understand the economical indigestion caused by the Savior of Abba's creation swigging from the other team's borrowed recipe of carbon, and sugar water. For the rest of us, this should not be an issue.
Again, we have an Italian film featuring a business man who is struggling with the stamina needed for the mid-life swim. He decides to take a well timed journey to Jerusalem, to get away and find himself along the dusty trails. Upon his travels he stops to pick up a hitchhiker who resembles (and is) Jesus. As the driver pulls over, Jesus plops down in the passenger seat with his hair pulled back and expresses that he is parched. The 'mid-life' navigator hands him a Coke, and as the Lord pops the top and gulps, the driver says, "God, now that's an endorsement."
This scene (and I'm hoping the movie) is filled with metaphors. The dusty, determined trail to Jerusalem and Jesus' destination - a location that would lead to his ultimate sacrifice - with a driver who is seeking the answer for life's empty promises. Who is hitching for a ride in this man's mid-life Jeep, the answer to life entirety himself.
Like the untouchable woman at the well, Jesus asks for a drink and the mid-lifer offers what he has, a Coke. As Jesus takes a swig, some humor hits the script with an honest mention of intended 'product placement', as the providers of life's living water takes a gulp. Here is Jesus, the 'real thing', drinking the world's temporary, thirst quenching 'real thing'. What a gift, who is writing this stuff?
Because of our learned fear tactics the movie has been postponed. One of my callers mentioned his delight, the success of the new found Christian intimidating muscle, "We can now successfully force companies like Coca-Cola to do the right things." No more evil Coke in Jesus' hands for movie makers. Mission accomplished.
More hypocritical, caffeine doused callers expressed, "Look at the power we have finally cultivated, we can fear people from doing things that offend us. We are recognized as members of the buying marketplace. We can now use this position to influence the media for the better."
Honestly, I'm tired of being associated with 'this' type of love-less power. I don't want people to fear me because I decide to pick up offenses and call a lobbyist. I don't want people to constantly know what I'm against, when they never know what I'm for.
Think about it, while we have focused on cultivating this 'new political power', we have lost our respected place inside of Graceland. Churches are empty, and hearts are hungry - thirsty. We stand at a distance and shout with our "big mouth muscle"...our volume is loud, but our love is silent.
It's a shame that a single can of soda pop in the hands of a character depicting Jesus, can cause such a stir. Where is this level of "concern" as it relates to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa, the homeless, the homosexual, abuse, addicted and lonely?
Here we have a movie that relates a modern day spiritual journey in a fictional (if not a super insightful non-fictional) manner. Why can't we bring ourselves to embracing the spiritually seeking art of today's culture, rather stoning it into stoic, religious submission ?
Finally, some were bothered with the representation of Jesus being as an ordinary, homeless hitchhiker who would drink a Coke. From my driver's seat, wasn't it Jesus who determined to empty himself to come to our fallen, sinful creation as a lowly, ordinary man. Are we concerned that we lose something in the mix if we embrace Jesus as all human? I say we lose everything if we don't embrace the Redeemer as Abba's humanity reach. Who better to fix my heart than a Creator who relates to my fallen state of sinful weaknesses?
"When your invited to a dinner (movie), go sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner (movie) guests something to talk about (good material). What I'm saying (Jesus here) is, if you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." (Luke 14:10-11)
If we can learn to tone down our vitriolic rage for a moment, this movie has metaphors upon metaphors to use for the kingdom reach that we all should be practicing. Why are we so determined to give everything inside this loved culture the self-righteous, "holy stiff-arm"?
Give me Jesus, a Coca-Cola and a hitched ride through the mid-life everyday, please.
Comments: erichogueshow@hotmail.com
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