Several years ago I started seeing these bumper stickers all over - WWJD aka: What Would Jesus Do?
I believe the phrase originates in the Christian community and is an attempt to encourage people to live in a more Christ-like way. It's an interesting concept to apply to the world in 2011 and beyond. If Jesus was alive today and living in our world, what would he do? It was interesting and amusing and somewhat perplexing for me, however, to notice how the people who had these bumper stickers on their vehicles would drive......Sometimes they were the most discourteous and rude drivers!!!! Which leads me to surmise that they likely think about the question in a macro way. I recall a conversation I participated in over a year ago; people were admonishing themselves for not doing "enough" to serve God. They were thinking macro - mission trips, working in the soup kitchen, fostering children, running youth groups, etc and saying they just didn't have the time to serve God better. I encouraged them to think MICRO - what are the simple acts of love and kindness we can do every single day? I like to think about it on a more basic level - What would Jesus THINK? Because, of course, what he thought and what ran through his mind would determine what he would do, correct? So, if you want to think REALLY MICRO - look at your thoughts and do they likely match what Christ would think???
So, here's an amusing scenerio for us to think about. What if Jesus was living in 2011. Imagine he gets up in the morning to go to work (I wonder what kind of job he would work at - pastor? social worker? community activist?). Anyway, he walks out to his car and steps in the "business" the neighbor's dog kindly left for him. WHAT WOULD HE THINK ABOUT THAT? So, he cleans off his shoes which might put him a little behind on his commute. I wonder what sort of vehicle he would drive - probably some sort of hybrid? So, even though he is running late, he drives the speed limit, because he obeys the law and this infuriates EVERYONE behind him who have wonderful expletives and other unkind things to think and say. WHAT WOULD HE THINK ABOUT THAT?????? And when he gets to work, what would he think about the gossiping, the competitive environment, the overinflated egos??? Let's say he stops after work to pick up a few groceries, like everybody else seems to be doing after work, and he is standing in the EXPRESS line with his 4 items and someone way in front of him has 32 items - WHAT WOULD HE THINK ABOUT THAT???? He is rushing out the door to get home and sees someone approaching the entrance. He realizes he has to stand there for about 5 seconds to avoid the door slamming as she walks up to it. WHAT WOULD HE THINK ABOUT THAT CHOICE???? I think you get my drift.....
If we want to be more Christ-like it HAS TO start with our thoughts. We have to go so MICRO, we ask ourselves, "What would Jesus THINK?". At a quantum level, everything starts with our thoughts and heart based emotions. It starts with compassion and compassionate thoughts.
I like to think that Jesus would bless all the people on the road, at work, in the supermarket, in his neighborhood because he would have compassion for everyone in his heart. I like to think that he would not be so reactive to the inappropriate behaviors and model for all of us a better way. I like to think he would forgive others their trespasses and not hold grudges. I like to think when he encountered impatience and hostility, we would send love and prayers that people's days and lives would go better....That's how I THINK HE WOULD THINK. What about you?
