WWJD Bracelets Are Stupid

I really wish that we would grow up as Christians. I wish we would see that Madonna has actually correctly put forth Christianity:

Christianity is becoming more of a currency than a belief

This is actually on point and pretty disturbing. When Michael Jackson died, not sure if you heard that he, in fact, died, vendors were outside his funeral to take advantage of the death by selling t-shirts with R.I.P. on the front. I started to scoff and laugh, and then realized that this isn't far from what Christians have done with our hero that died. Before Jesus died, the cross was seen as an obscene object and not for affection or to be worn proudly around the neck with 14 caret gold and diamonds laced within it. But, leave it to Christians to start to market the cross like MJ fans did the programs from his funeral on ebay the day after. Whatever we need to do to make a buck.

I am not sure if I am more disturbed by the companies that hock this crap or for the stupid consumer for buying and chalking it up as using it as a witness for the cross of Christ. I still don't get how having a blanket in your house with a lighthouse on it stating, "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" is a witnessing tool. It might warm your guests feet, but I doubt it will make them realize their need for Christ. Plus, the lighthouse is just distracting.

This is contemporary Christendom though. We tell ourselves that if we buy this crap and wear it or put it around our home that people are going to read our mugs and see our t-shirts and want to sell everything that they have to follow Christ, for a small donation. What is even crazier is that people who aren't Christians see right through this, and aren't attracted to Christ because of it. We are cheapening Christ by buying all this crap and really telling people that Jesus is no different than the local show hocking crap at their concerts. Really, what is the difference between us wearing some odd verse on our t-shirt with Christ dying on the cross and someone wearing a Cold Play t-shirt with a lyric and tour dates on back? Jesus has become nothing more than a pop icon instead of the Jesus that died a brutal death on the cross and rose from the dead to save souls. I think that all this marketing has dumbed Christianity down so much that it a large part of why people have issues with his bloody death and why people don't like to read parts of the Bible that calls them whores with their legs spread open waiting for anyone who passes by. (Ezekiel 16). Instead, we would like Jesus' name to look like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrapper on a t-shirt.

Every time I see someone wearing a WWJD bracelet, I want to simply tell them, "He wouldn't be wearing your bright pink bracelet, that's for sure."

At some point we have to realize that no matter what we do, just wearing the crap around our neck doesn't make us a Christ follower. That would be like the local transvestite wearing chick clothes and saying he is a lady. Wear the clothes all you want man, but you are still a dude. At the end of the day, you still have to shave your face and put on a cup when you play softball.

Christianity has to be a heart change, not a change of clothes. The way we put it forth today though is that if you want to be a Christian, then you have to listen to lame music, wear lame t-shirts (like "Lord's Gym: Bench Press This!") and put the little Jesus fish on your car for all to see that not only you have changed for Christ, but your car has been redeemed as well.

At some point, we have to see how dumb we look as we try and sell people our crappy trinkets for Jesus. Instead, what we need to do is lived a changed life, not a changed wardrobe. We need to live for Jesus, we need to speak Jesus. I get like this every time I walk into a Christian bookstore and see all the crap they try and sell poor shmucks for a little righteousness for their wall. Today, instead of buying anything, I walked next door (to the wine and beer shop) and bought a beer glass and then went home and drank a beer for the glory of God and thanked him for his many true blessings in life as I sat and saw his creation in the form of a great ocean staring at me from my balcony.

I really hope that at some point we see that the war is not happening in what we wear or hang on our wall, but is in the heart of man. We need to speak and live Jesus with others so that they see the greatness of him and realize that he is not some pop culture icon that hopes that someone will buy a ticket to the show.

He's not a show. He's the Creator and Sustainer of all life.

And

He thinks your bracelet is dumb and so do I.