Beyond WWJD

I'm glad that I never went through the WWJD? bracelet phase. Maybe it's the postmodern in me, but I never really knew if there was one real answer to that question. I thought that Jesus would have sided with the poor and marginalized, sought peace rather than violence, acted up against the empire instead of being coopted by it - but I guess the creators of the bracelet really wanted it to be a reminder to recently born-again teenagers about the evils of drugs, drinking, and premarital sex. That was 15 years ago - and today a new fad has appeared. Lance Armstrong and Nike paired up to create the "Livestrong" concept about a year ago - and since then various bracelets have become the new red/yellow/purple/pink ribbon. And I must say, that after a bit of trepidation, I too, have donned two wristbands. A white one with the word, "ONE," and a blue one that says, "My Journey." The white wristband is part of the ONE Campaign to end hunger and HIV/AIDS in Africa, the blue one is part of a promotion by the United Methodist Publishing House to encourage Christian Education development in local congregations. Like those WWJD? bracelets, the wristbands remind me of something - there is a world beyond my ghetto, a world in need - and that I am called to journey alongside those who are marginalized. Such a journey is never static, never assumes triumphalism, or is sympatheically patronizing. It is a journey to new life on a road full of suprises. Maybe the question should never have been "What Would Jesus Do?," but "What Would Jesus Have Us Do?" That opens the discussion wider - incorporates a variety of contexts - and certainly does not limit our conceptions of God. An old hymn proclaims "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me." Maybe instead of telling Jesus what we want, Jesus lures us into the possibility of having us walk with him.