Ok, you are going to either think I am completely nuts, or you are going to think, "I have seen this, or wondered about this..." Or, "Where in the WORLD do you come up with this stuff!?!" Bear with me... Remember how people argued over whether we should put the Old Elvis or the Young Elvis on the Postal Stamp to honor him? Huge debates about which Elvis you thought of when you think: "Elvis"? Well, I have noticed a similar question about Jesus. Not whether we think of him as Young or Old. But rather, do you think of Jesus as a Hippy or not. An overbearing judge, or a fancy free love spreader. A charismatic free spirit, or a professor style checker of those who do wrong. Personally I think he is in our hearts as he comes, meaning however you see him THAT is true. Therefore there is not wrong answer. Because he comes in as he needs you to see him, to do his work. How do you see Jesus? What would he be like, in your eye, if he was walking back on Earth today? For me, he is the good aspect of the "Hippy". Meaning that the negative incarnations of the word hippy do not apply, but yet he is the spread love, spread flowers, share the love kind of personality. This means, he needs no possessions, he smiles a lot, he cares for all, he walks with all, he is not hard, he is encouraging and joyful. He teaches like the sermon on the mount and is never overbearing. You are drawn to him and he teaches you how to find humor and laghter in everything around you. He reaches out to the prisoner and the prostitute, right into their hearts and pulls them up. Making our personal prejudices seem so petty. When I am in the middle of praise and worship at our church, I cry. Joyful tears, because in my mind I can see him walking to each person in the room telling them exactly what he wants them to know and exactly what they need to hear. "I am with you." and "Don't worry, you are mine." etc.. it is an amazing visual that I wish I could share. How do you see him, when he walks with you?
I see Jesus/God as my Father and my Savior. If he was walking to me right now, he would have his arms stretched out and welcoming me. At the same time, like my earthly father, he lovingly rebukes and corrects my wrong doings (is that a word?).
I agree - He's complete,everything we need. The bible warns us that the heart is deceitful. We can't base what is true only by what our hearts feel.
The "Hippy Jesus" description made me think of a movie I watched the other day. It's 'The Gospel of John', I haven't watched the whole thing but their portrayel of Jesus really turned me off. All the other men are dressed the same, I don't know what the garment is called but it's open a little at the neck. Everyone else's is very modest, then here comes the man playing Jesus swaggering out with his shirt gaping open halfway down his chest. It really made me sit back. Plus the narrator is not reading from the KJV! LOL I know I'm picky! I'm going to finish the movie, hopefully I'll like it better once I get farther into it. I think of the verse where Jesus was on the mount looking down on Jerusalem and he says "oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen doth gather her chicks and you would not". That's how I picture Jesus..... loving, forgiving, just aching to gather us up and we just keep going our own way.... patient, kind.
I see Jesus a lot like Jen, but never thought of it as a Hippy thing. To me a hippy is too carefree, I guess. I know Jesus had his very serious moments, and was totally others centered. But I also picture him as happy, joking positively with his disciples/friends, and enjoying life. He had a VERY close relationship with God the Father, and yearned to share that with his friends. Even when he was "angry" (his anger was never self-motivated, it was always based on the terrible way the people were acting and treating God's laws and others!), he wasn't scary. KWIM? He overturned the tables in the temple, and the money-changers ran from him. Yet the children weren't afraid of him at all, and, instead flocked to him! I think if your heart was right, you felt an overpowering feeling when near him because he was so pure and clean and loving and caring..... Right now I picture him with a big smile, and, as Patty said, his arms open wide, ready to give me a big hug! He's someone I feel I would automatically look up to and feel comfortable with. I can only imagine the depth of love in his eyes as he looks at me and you! Have any of you seen the Matthew videos (or DVD's)? They are AWESOME! That is how I've pictured Jesus all along, so I was thrilled with how they chose to portray him!
Jesus was a radical. He was a rebel. I really don't see him as a hippy. Hippies are all about free love and not having to answer to authority. As a child, he knew that he was different and before he was comfortable with who he was, he would use his power to do bad things. This was left out of the Bible. He was a mischievious child and those who decided what would stay and what would go thought that this would change the way people saw Jesus. Remember, Jesus was born so that God could understand us as humans. He was def. born to take away sin, but he was also sent so that God could come to terms with why he was so dissapointed in what he had created. Anyway, I think that I would have liked to be friends with Jesus. (Not just for the eternal savior part LOL)
I am not a visual thinker (that's my disclaimer), but when I do envision Jesus, here's what I see in my mind's eye: He is a working man. (I think this comes to me from his exposure to carpentry.) He would in no way be confused with those fey hippy images. He has callouses and splinters. He reminds me of the older men from church who mostly keep commentary to themselves, and then one day you discover they are carrying all this wisdom around, but haven't been flaunting it because that's not how wisdom behaves. It's not that He was hiding it; it's that I was listening/paying attention. When I am talking and say something questionable (although I may not recognize it as such), he gives me a questioning look, then teaches me - directly or through example - of the true path. Then He lets me make my own mistakes, and is always there when I go back to check in. I don't know how much this image has to do with the Bible, but I don't know that the hippy image has a whole lot to do with scripture, either. I'm only sharing what I "see" when I think of it that way. Sadly, I don't usually think about "looking" at God. It seems as if since I became a mother, I am always talking to Him over my shoulder while I chase after my household responsibilities. Thank goodness He's a good listener.
Has anyone seen a claymation movie called 'The Miracle Maker'? The way Jesus is portrayed in that movie is the way I picture Jesus. He's a hard worker. He loves everyone. He laughs and smiles a lot but when someone disrespects God or uses God to justify something bad they are doing (Pharisees) he gets angry. You get the feeling he could be your best friend. When you weep, he weeps with you. When you need someone to tell you when you're doing wrong he will, gently and lovingly, but firmly. Did I mention that I just love that movie? I make the family watch it every Easter.
He's my loving Father, older Brother. He's beside me in the storm, giving me courage to step out of my little bark right onto the raging waves toward Him, knowing that when I falter, His strong hand is there to pull me up... He knew & understood me--even the thoughts that I would think-- before He ever made heaven and earth--knew that I would deny Him, distrust Him, and reject Him--and loved me still. He whispers peace to my soul... He's King of Kings, Conquering Hero, the Perfect One, who could die in my place, cover me with His infinite holiness, and someday present me faultless before the courtroom of the universe... (I scarce can take this in!) Beth Moore answers your question more eloquently. I'm going to repost her poem: He is Elohim, Creator, the Omnipotent who rules. He's the Sovereign King of glory, and earth is His footstool. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He sends forth lightning that later checks back in with Him. He speaks worlds into existence and spins them out in space. He gives orders to the morning and shows the dawn its place. He prophesies the future; then orders it fulfilled. He bears fruit from a landscape that man has never tilled. He feeds the beasts of the field from the palm of His hand. He watches while they bear their young; then teaches them to stand. He gives the seas their boundaries and hides His creatures deep. He teaches eagles how to fly and nest upon the steep. He makes the clouds His chariot and rides on wings of wind. He champions the victim and brings proud men to end. He is Immanuel, God with us--come to earth through Christ. He is the Kinsman-Redeemer, who paid the slave-man's price. He is the King of kings, Lord of lords; and worthy is the Lamb! He holds the keys to eternal life where the dead in Christ now stand. He is enthroned between the cherubim; and great is His reward. The devil--His defeated foe; the weapon--His swift sword. The story has a moral, so I'll hasten, lest you tire. Whoever you perceived He is, you might aim a little higher! (From the DVD series, "Believing God," by Beth Moore)
I wanted to repeat that when I say hippy I do not mean the negative reputations that hippies eventually earned. I am talking about my old relatives from the 70's... Free love did not mean lay with anyone at anytime, it meant, at that time, give caring to anyone who needed it... Help everyone, BE the example that Jesus set out. Give to the prostitute the same help you would give to the old lady crossing the road.... Be kind.... I didn't even know what prejudice was till the 80's. We have friends in our home 24 7 who were of every color and every economic level...... Seriously, they were really good hard working people who loved everyone and helped everyone and worked hard for what they did. They also belonged to no denomination, they just read from the bible to study together.... That is what I mean by hippy.... Away from the standard strict regiments of doctrine that seemed to ALWAYS omit some one at some point in time.
