Jesus of Bethlehem or Jesus of Vance?

wrote an article five or six years ago about the difference between believing in Jesus Christ and actually following him. Every now and then I return to it and realize it was not as well written as I would have liked. Yet, by some strange coincidence, it has become the most frequently read piece I’ve written, even after all these years. I suspect that means at least some people sense there is a difference—and that the difference matters.

I thought of it again when I read accounts of J. D. Vance’s speech at a recent Turning Point conference. He was loudly cheered when he declared that the United States was, is, and always will be a Christian nation. As a Harvard-trained lawyer, he should know better—and surely does. This was clearly not a call to Christian faith, but a speech in service of a political agenda that has little to do with following in the way of Jesus Christ.

A conservative friend challenged me on this point. While I may disagree with Turning Point’s political aims, he argued, the movement is at least bringing young people back to Jesus. On the surface, he may be right—judging by how often the name of Jesus is invoked at their conferences. But one has to ask: which Jesus?

The Jesus being proclaimed often appears to be a hoped-for Messiah wielding sword and shield, ready to unleash the wrath of God on unbelievers. The Jesus whose birth we are about to celebrate did not live up to that image—and refused it outright. The Jesus we believe in and try to follow is the one who said, “Go and tell John what you see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

So what does following Jesus actually look like?

Jesus answered that himself. To follow him is to:

• See the poor, be with the poor, and be for the poor
• See those who mourn, be with them, and be for them
• Practice humility with confidence, without needing to prove oneself at the expense of others
• Recognize those who are good and just—and stand with them
• Recognize those who work for peace and harmony among all people—and be one with them
• Have courage when following Jesus is condemned, and stay the course

There is more, of course, but this is a faithful summary—and one given to us by Christ himself.

Any proclamation of Jesus that does not center on these commitments is suspect. Above all, any version of Christianity that excludes portions of humanity from the circle of those whom God loves must be rejected outright. For those who believe only “the elect” will see God: do not presume to tell God—or anyone else—who is included and who is not.

We are warned that some will come knocking at the door, claiming they prophesied and healed in Christ’s name, only to hear the response: “Go away from me; I never knew you.”

To follow Christ is to be content to let God be God, and to live into the mystery of a steadfast and abundant love for the creation God made—and declared good.