by Tom Krattenmaker.
A few years ago, I was in Charleston, S.C., speaking on a panel at the annual meeting of the American Humanist Association. Getting there had been an ordeal: flight delays, a missed connection, an unexpected overnight in a city far from my destination. As I began my remarks, I warned the audience I was under-slept, over-caffeinated, and a little out of my head. “I’m liable to do something crazy,” I joked, “like talk about Jesus at a humanist conference.”
Little did I know how “crazy” it was. On that day and many others following publication of my book Confessions of a Secular Jesus Follower, I was reminded of how much toxic baggage the name “Jesus” has taken on in non-Christian circles. I’ll spare you the details and simply point out that for a lot of would-be receivers of my message about the humane, compassionate values personified by Jesus, the J-word was a showstopper.
This should not be. But I get it. For those who don’t know much about the person or the religion that revolves around him, hearing “Jesus” often sets off alarm bells. The name can conjure up notions of pushy evangelism, religious intolerance, and sanctimonious moralizing, not to mention cheesy movies and the dire threat du jour: Christian nationalism.
It pains me to see such a reaction to a figure I consider to be one of the greatest—if not the greatest—sources of wisdom, insight, and inspiration ever to walk the Earth. And I imagine the pain is even greater for actual Christians, who embrace not only the inspirational figure and moral exemplar aspects of Jesus but his divinity as well.
So how can Christians talk about Jesus outside their church circles and not send everyone running for the door?
By talking about values. At least at first.
At the late great Yale Humanist Community, we crafted a vision statement that imagined a world “united by values rather than divided by beliefs.” I believe that vision is 100 percent true and worthy—and 100 percent applicable to Christians keen on communicating about Christ.
Jesus values are humane values, even overlapping with secular humanist values in important ways—ways that can foster positive dialog and serve as a bridge between cultural sectors with stark religious differences.
What do I mean?
In my secular Jesus follower book, I speak of Jesus as the great humanizer—one who was constantly re-humanizing people who had been dehumanized, always re-humanizing destructive, dehumanizing situations and dynamics. Examples include the woman at the well (John 4) and Jesus’s touching and healing the leper (Matthew 8). This practice of seeing and lifting up the dignity and humanity of everyone—how could that not be relevant to humanists?
I also see Jesus offering vital course corrections when we are falling for the alluring but life-sapping idols of consumerism, acquisition, a life devoted to power and pleasure, and the siren song of me, me, me.
Jesus saves, all right. He saves us from wasting our short temporal lives on trivial and selfish things.
These are values that inspire regardless of the hearer’s location on the belief spectrum—values that the world needs now as much as it did in Jesus’ time. What I have learned, however, is that if you start a conversation with Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, you’ll have a harder time getting a listening, whether that’s fair or not.
My input? Christians intent on spreading Jesus values, and eventually finding sympathetic ears for a conversation about Christ and faith, are well-advised to start with values and how they apply to what ails humanity today, individually and societally.
If you come across a person who is suffering, someone who’s disillusioned, alienated, or in emotional, spiritual, or physical pain, by all means pay attention and show kindness in view of the best Christian tradition. But if you don’t know what they believe, it’s best to go easy on the Christian stuff at first. I’ve interacted with Christians who understand this—and some who don’t.
I would never advise Christians—or Buddhists or Jews or Hindus or humanists for that matter—to lie about their affiliations and beliefs. It’s a question of what they lead with, of what they advertise about themselves and their intentions, as they begin their cross-religious interactions. And if one’s only intention is to criticize and convert, it’s time for a long, hard look at those intentions.
Christians need not worry. As conversations deepen and relationships develop, you’ll get your chance to talk about Jesus and what he means to you and the world—and what he might come to mean to your conversation partner. By then, trust will have grown, and the walls of misunderstanding and suspicion will stand not nearly as tall.
To read more of Tom Krattenmaker’s work, check out his website at tomkrattenmaker.com