Week 10

Our view of Jesus and God has required us to paint pictures in our mind's eye about what they look like, how they listen to us, and what they ask from us. Borg's Jesus and Alice Walker's Color Purple both play on the innocence behind painting pictures about Jesus and God. I have been raised as a Catholic and given various paint brushes to help me relate to God and understand the importance of trusting faith. I remember being given stickers, magnets, jewelry and more that have been mass produced with images of God and Jesus and phrases/verses that remind me that Jesus loves and is with me. Borg draws on "three little phrases" that play a role in Christian life: "What Would Jesus do", "Jesus Loves Me-- This I know", and "For God So Loved the World" (Borg 305-306). These three sayings have helped guide Christians to trust in faith and turn toward away from temptation. I think the most popular phrase "What Would Jesus Do" has been used (unfortunately) as a marketing slogan and thrown around so much that it has lost its religious affiliation. The next two saying can also be used to help connect Borg's book with Alice Walker's Color Purple excerpt because Miss Celie's letter to Nettie. In the letter, Celie is writing about the conversation she had about what God looks like and how he loves everyone. Celie embarrassingly says that God is "big and old and tall and gray bearded and white. He wear robes and go barefooted. Blue eyes?" (Walker). Her description is much like the description I have in my mind's eye. Celie's friend laughs at her as she jokes about how Celie has white image of God. I think God's (and Jesus') image has very much been marketed similar to the WWJD saying unfortunately. I think that Celie's response to how God loves us is beautiful and very true. She says that "I can lay back and just admire stuff. Be happy. Have a good time" (Walker). I think this is very true. The best way to know how God loves us is to admire all the wonders around us that God created for us. I really enjoyed reading the Color Purple excerpt, and found it a much more typical everyday individual response to the question about the mystery behind Christianity. I have thought about what I think would be my response to what God looks it and how he shows his love, but what I think is important is not letting the fear of the unknown get in the way of not believing in God. I admit that sometimes these thoughts have crossed my mind, but staying mindful of the Catholic teachings is helpful in painting my picture of God.