Quote of the Day

I just finished reading the first chapter of Vintage Jesus & I wanted to share a quote from the opening pages of chapter one.  Some may perceive this quote as being a bit raw and some might say it’s at the very least disrespectful.  Keep in mind that a big focus of Mark’s ministry is reaching out to those in their 20s and 30s who are largely unchurched and unfamiliar with traditional “churchy” language.  Realizing that this is a bit tongue in cheek, it gets the main gist of the story across in a way that would resonate with those who are unfamiliar with the Bible and church, who are very involved in the popular culture of our day.  What do you think?  Is this going too far?

Roughly two thousand years ago, Jesus was born in a dumpy, rural, hick town, not unlike those today where guys change their own oil, think pro wrestling is real, find women who chew tobacco sexy, and eat a lot of Hot Pockets with their uncle-daddy.  Jesus’ mom was a poor, unwed teenage girl who was mocked for claiming she conceived via the Holy Spirit.  Most people thought she concocted a crazy story to cover the “fact” she was knocking boots with some guy in the backseat of a car at the prom.  Jesus was adopted by a simple carpenter named Joseph and spent the first thirty years of his life in obscurity, swinging a hammer with his dad.

Around the age of thirty, Jesus began a public ministry that included preaching, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and befriending social misfits such as perverts, drunks, and thieves.  Jesus’ ministry spanned only three short years before he was put to death for declaring himself to be God.  He died by shameful crucifixion like tens of thousands of people before and after him.

Vintage Jesus (pages 11-12)