EP27: Jesus is the Revolutionary We Need Now - guest Dave Brisbin on Gracearchy with Jim Babka

What your Christian friends believe makes YOUR world. Chances are, you have NOT thought about this before. Consider... The United States is the most powerful nation on the planet. For most of you reading this, it's your home country. And Christians are an extremely large demographic group influencing culture and politics. Perhaps you never thought about that before. Maybe you think about it regularly, and it scares you. We sat down and talked with Dave Brisbin, a pastor with a unique yet relatable life journey, to discuss "Who is Jesus?" Why should you tune in to this episode? Being a Christian is mostly about how you view Jesus. That's practically the theme of the Gospel of John. However, to be blunt: American Jesus seems more trouble than good. Progressive Christians might think they agree with that statement. But be warned: before you get on the bandwagon and cheer, remaking Jesus in your image is also trouble. Everywhere - work, home, community, and society - the tyranny of laws and rules (backed by violence) is used to either keep an artificial peace or tackle a social problem. The overwhelming majority of Americans think they can reform these inherently authoritarian (and anti-human) structures. And both tribes claim Jesus is on their side. Gracearchy involves replacing that bureaucratic way of thinking with a peacemaking, relational approach. Indeed, as Dave Brisbin reveals in this interview: Grace is an anarchic idea. It's showered on everyone equally, and that means it doesn't reward merit or status. It's unjust and upends castes. The very notion of grace is scandalous. At present, even religious Christians tend to literally stand in the way of this anarchic idea. They must. Christians tend to want certainty, formulas, metrics, security, and rules. They want to know the score of their virtue rank. They need "western Jesus" to preserve their scheme. Part of the "good news" of Christmas is that Jesus is NOT the guy marketed by Western philosophy and religion. Jesus was born a Hebrew. He taught using Hebrew cultural methods and concerns of the Jews of his day. What are the human (anthropological) implications of that fact? And whether you believe in Jesus or not, if you want a peaceful, Zero Aggression society, you must recognize that the question of who Jesus was and what his life means is not just a Christmas story. It's an issue that matters to all of us. Dave Brisbin's take? Jesus might just be the revolutionary we need. Connect with Brisbin via [e-mail] or https://davebrisbin.com/ Gracearchy with Jim Babka is a show that transcends left-right conflict, offering respectful pathways forward instead. Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZeroAggressionProject.org https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ is the sponsor. Be grace-full to each other.