Have you noticed the number of Jesus, 'memorabilia' items that are on sale in UK High Street shops? I had to smile at the irony of Jesus Adhesive Bandages I found within a stationary shop. I began to wonder whether there was theological significance lurking here.Jesus the healer, the one who protects, the one who clings to humanity, the one who shares his image. But what about the free toy inside?
I like the definition of toy as, 'An object, often a small representation of something familiar, as an animal or person, for children or others to play with.' Playing can be a serious business. Just watch any toddler totally captivated with their favourite plaything; completely absorbed within the world of make believe that for them has a a greater sense of reality than the adult world around them.
Whilst some Christians will find the Jesus trivia to be almost blasphemous, the intended send-up also has a significant message for the believer. Hauerwas and Willimon in their book, 'Resident Aliens' claim that the church has lost its bearings because it's forgotten its Jesus-centered tradition. Rather than dwelling within that tradition, realizing that the church's mission is to build community that exemplifies the Kingdom and the Kingdom's values, Christians too frequently accommodate to the world in order to make their beliefs acceptable. In doing whatever they can to ameliorate the "scandal" of the gospel so as not to offend anyone, they betray the Kingdom and their tradition--and God.
Hauerwas and Willimon write; "What we call church is often a conspiracy of cordiality." "This accounts for why, to many people, church becomes suffocatingly superficial" and is it any wonder they view it as trivial; a free toy on the inside. The need seems to be greater than just using a sticking plaster.
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