What Would Jesus Do?
I say we bring back the WWJD bracelets from the 1990s. The WWJD acronym posed the reminder question, "What would Jesus do?" I'm sure my adult kids are laughing because they had a WWJD bracelet, and I reminded them often, "What would Jesus do?"
To my surprise, as I researched the phrase "What would Jesus do?" I discovered that its history goes further back than WWJD bracelets—a youth leader in Michigan began a grassroots movement to remind her teenagers of the importance of living Christlike.
The original meaning is Imitatio Christi (imitation of Christ), a concept started in the Roman Catholic Church, which paraphrased in English, "What would Jesus do?"
In the 1800s, Charles Sheldon wrote a book entitled "In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do." The book grew out of a series of sermons that Sheldon preached at his church in Topeka, Kansas, and became widely read in the United States. Sheldon's book, along with Rev. Walter Rauschenbusch's teachings, allowed people to think about the gospel and imitation of Christ in a new way. Thus the birth of a Social Gospel movement (1870-1930).
Out of this social gospel, birthed the women's suffragette movement. In the United States, white women received the right to vote in 1920, and unfortunately, black women were not allowed to vote until 1965.
Our "issues" are not new, and justice is a biblical word. However, we often don't think about injustices unless they affect us personally. Posing the WWJD question allows us to remove ourselves from the downward spiral of our self-centeredness. It calls for us to Imitatio Christi (imitation of Christ).
There are many ways to imitate Christ—his concern for the "least of these," his willingness to cross racial and economic lines, his congruent life in words and actions, and he modeled the principle of humble servant leadership—the last shall be first.
There are no excuses for not following the ways of Christ. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus shares a lengthy discourse on top of a mountain where he spoke to those gathered around him about the potential of the blessed life and powerful teaching of salt and light.
In Matthew 5:13-16, he answers the question as to why we are here.
We're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.
We're here to be light, bringing out God-colors in the world.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5-8 that the ways of Christ are counter-cultural. There's no room for unforgiveness, stinginess, retaliation, and fighting in WWJD. No, we are salt on the table and light in the room. Demanding our rights seems inappropriate in light of the one who gave up his rights so that we could experience forgiveness.
Jesus reminds us that blessings come to the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, people that hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.
These people are salt-shakers and lampstands.
They are the delighted owners of everything that can't be bought and are satisfied by Christ alone. They will be cared for, and they see God in the outside world around them, and they refuse to compete and fight with others.
Kingdom people look like the beatitudes, and they ask the question, "What would Jesus do?" The response of kingdom people is love in action.
A lot has happened lately, and as Christians called to be imitators of Christ, we haven't always responded well. It's my personal opinion that we have some makeup work to do. We may need to refresh the salt in our shaker or add a brighter bulb to the lampstand.
If Jesus came to "seek and save the lost," how much more should we aim to show his love in the lostness. I ask you, "What would Jesus do?"
Shine, my friend, Shine!