Jesus > Religion Review

        I was selected to receive an advanced copy of  "Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough" by famed spoken word poet Jefferson Bethke, who is famously known for his video "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus",  in order to write a review on my opinion of the book.  I have to say I had a very biased opinion going in, I was pre-ordering my copy on Amazon anticipating its arrival October 7th, but I am also very critical when it comes to this subject so I also went in with a very intense eye on how Jesus would be portrayed, and once I start to read it I found that it was very different to how I imagined. Jefferson dives in on many issues that people are afraid to speak on. Sins such as lust, greed, homosexuality, he even touched on gluttony and I can't think of the last time anyone even considered that as a sin. He speaks a lot about the fundamentalist, he breaks down different era's of Christians or religions if you will, and though some may not love his interpretation of them it's very interesting to see the younger generation's view on those who have carried this torch for so long.  I am a young adult who was raised by a woman who taught me the bible, I did not grow up in church but WITH it, and I found myself lumped into the fundamentalist group. I was in no way offended by this, matter of fact it made me look at my view how I am living with Jesus. I found myself disagreeing with his views at times, but in that I found myself reflecting on where my views are and how I can improve them in Jesus. 

    Jefferson talks about the church quite often although the title and his videos may lead you to believe otherwise, "We can't say we love Jesus and not the church because that's like cutting off someone's body and saying you love a decapitated head. That's gross. And it'ts weird.To love someone and know that person fully, you must know their entire self." The church is a part of Jesus, and we are the church. I have long believed that a church while it is important to have somewhere you can worship, it is us his children who make up the church. We are his vessel and if we are not speaking for him there is nowhere for him to go, Jefferson has done a fine job at getting this point across. 

       Many may feel he goes back and forth on certain subjects, us fundamentalists who hold certain topics with a little more high regard may find his opinions offensive but I think that's the point. We all come from different walks of life, different areas of Christianity, and when reading I found myself saying, "I'm fascinated by his view and where he came from, and how Jesus brought him to where he is now." It's a fascinating testimony of sin, morals, idolatry and love. 

      We were created to love each other, Jesus while mighty in his power came to us with love in his heart, and mercy on our souls, this is the message that Jefferson is trying to send to the masses, the message that Jesus has called us all to share. We are called to do so much more than to be beaten down by rules. He is right, once you have began your relationship with him, he calls your life out of despair and into marvelous things, and soon those rules are no longer something to be beat down by they are love. 

      I would hope while reading the average person picks up his message, the message of Love. The bible is God's love letter to us, and this is Jefferson's love letter to not just God, but God's children as well. I myself have identified with many if not ninety-seven percent of Jefferson's walk and though some of my outcomes have been a bit different, the end result has been the same. As he says, If just one person reads this book and it opens them up to Jesus then it would be worth it, Jefferson, I commend you because, with that one book you may feed millions just  as Jesus did with his few little fish and his seven loaves of bread to the 4,000. 

-D