Lenten Blog – Day 17 – Baptismal Covenant, Part 3

Celebrant

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

People

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,     He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit         and born of the Virgin Mary.     He suffered under Pontius Pilate,         was crucified, died, and was buried.     He descended to the dead.     On the third day he rose again.     He ascended into heaven,         and is seated at the right hand of the Father.     He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Here’s our “Come to Jesus” moment.

When the film “Oh, God” came out, I went and saw it at the Northgate Theatre on a double-bill with “Bugsy Malone.”  I remember seeing it with my mom.

In the film, John Denver has been challenged by God (George Burns) to confront a fake televangelist.  When he does so, a fight breaks out and the televangelist sues John Denver for libel.  A court case ensues and John is sequestered away in a hotel room awaiting God to come help him.

Locked away in this hotel room, John has a collection of questions provided by the court.  These are questions John would not be able to answer, only God could.  Thus proving that John is talking to God and not being delusional.

When God eventually shows up he complains that John is being charged $16 for a steak dinner.  As they go through the questions, one of the questions is:  “Is Jesus Christ the son of God?”

This is the ONLY time that Christ is mentioned in this film.

George/God’s response?  “Yes.  Jesus Christ was my son.  You are my son.  The guy who charged you $16 for a steak is my son.”

My mother was bothered by this because it seemed, rightly so, that Jesus’s place in the passion and redemption of our sins was being tossed on a shelf with a handful of knick-knacks.  She mused that maybe the writers couldn’t really focus on that because it might bother Jewish people or don’t believe that Jesus Christ is our savior or…

Years later I brought this up in my Confirmation class and the priest said:  “That movie was 100% true.”

So what to make of this Baptismal Covenant moment?

Of course, over the years, people have watered down the virgin birth story saying that during that time many stories were told about people with special powers or special abilities were born of “virgins.”

There are also stories of Jesus in the New Testament Apocrypha that talk of him battling dragons and killing other kids.  Seriously.

http://www.cracked.com/article_18948_5-real-deleted-bible-scenes-in-which-jesus-kicks-some-ass.html

Again, what to make of the above?

Do I TRULY believe that?

I think that with anything there is some “wiggle room” for logic and reason to infiltrate.

But, yes, I truly believe a lot of the above.  It doesn’t mean I don’t question.  It doesn’t mean I don’t wonder.  It doesn’t mean that I’m going to tattoo it on my inner thigh.

What’s that line from “Miracle on 34^th Street?”  “Faith means believing in things that your brain tells you not to.”

Yeah, that:  Faith.