This cartoon popped up in my Facebook news feed today. I almost fell out of my chair laughing.
Sadly, how many American Christians (I can only speak of American Christians because that’s who I know) have a faith not so distant from Carl’s? I’m not perfect, but I try to be nice. God’s my co-pilot. And sure, my boss is a Jewish carpenter.
Let’s investigate Carl’s language. Sure, we’re not perfect, but have you ever heard of ethics, of striving to live a holy life? “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
God is your co-pilot? So that means you’re in charge, and if things go bad, God can help you out of a jam. But the rest of the time, God should just sit back and not interfere with your life? So you’re interested in a lifeguard, not a Lord.
Finally, if Jesus is your boss, who’s your Savior? The connotation of “boss” is one who directs and controls – not one whose death and resurrection are the cosmic events that narrate the salvation of the world.
the rev. jimmy abbott 