WWJD. For those not in the loop, it stands for What Would Jesus Do? It's on bracelets some of us wear. I've worn one myself on occasion. It should remind us to make the kind of choices Jesus would make and do the things He would do.

Sometimes it is helpful. It also reminds us that people who are not Christian will judge Jesus by what Christians do. But what if the words or actions of some churches give a distorted picture of who Jesus is? It think He is too important to let His reputation be distorted.

From current events you may draw certain conclusions from how some churches apply WWJD. Apparently one thing Jesus would do is sue the village of Canton to get His rights – the right to not follow ordinances everyone else has to follow. He can afford more legal expenses than Canton, so suing is good strategy. It seems ironic that He relies on the American courts to give Him justice since He is coming back to judge the world. Or so I hear.

Apparently Jesus would tell gay people they are going to hell. He used to reserve such harsh words for religious leaders. Maybe He was mistaken? Apparently Jesus is petrified of anything labeled socialism; must be worse than crucifixion or lions. Apparently whenever someone says “Happy Holidays” or something He doesn't like, Jesus whines that He is being persecuted. After what He went through the first time around, you'd think He wouldn't be surprised by imaginary slights now and then.

If this is the impression you get by the way churches sometimes behave or speak, then please read the original records of what He said and did. The examples above are not the impression of Jesus I get from reading the gospels. Somehow the acronym evolved from WWJD to WWCOTSJD: “What Would Chip-On-The-Shoulder Jesus Do?”

I appreciated the letter (Sri Lanka Bombers ‘Cowards’) Tarik Ait Maatallah wrote last week (May 1-7) repudiating the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. He is concerned that Muslims get blamed for the deeds of political or religious “fundamentalists”.

I am also concerned that Christians get blamed for the deeds of political or religious “fundamentalists”. Extremists – Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist – use different religious language from each other, but they all mean the same thing. Nothing they say could be called good news.

Carroll Boswell

Norwood