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What would Jesus do in your town if he came here today?
Perhaps roughly the same as he did in Capernaum, that other town where he arrived without knowing anybody - walk around talking to people that no one else would talk to: social lepers that people criticised or avoided. People like prostitutes, tax collectors, soldiers in the occupying forces, women.
So who would Jesus talk to in your town? Who are the lepers that our so-called tolerant society rejects nowadays?
Paedophiles, probably. People with HIV. Second home owners. Drug users. Alcoholics. Town councillors. Rich people. Pregnant teenagers. Developers. Planning officers. People with public school accents. Ex-offenders. ASBO recipients. Single mothers. People who do good deeds. Young people. Old people. Gays. Middle-class white people. Obese people. Traffic wardens. People with psychiatric illnesses. Oh, and tax collectors and prostitutes.
And once he came face to face with all these people - quite a large chunk of the population, come to think of it - what would Jesus say?
Probably the same as he said to the people in Capernaum. How does ‘the kingdom of God is near to you' translate today?
Living in God's kingdom means living life his way - letting him be king of the way I live, instead of living my life being ruled by popularity, rebellion or any other king.
It is near to us, that way of life. It is possible, with Jesus' help. And he is just as near, available and accessible, to us unacceptable people today.
Article first published in local newspaper
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