"Jesus is the answer" the bumper stickers proclaim and it may very well be true but it certainly depends on the question. If what we are looking for is escape from the problems of the world, if what we are hoping for is a way of hiding from the intricacies of relationships, if what we desire is an existence that pretends that being a Christian is painless and perfect, then I'd say Jesus is most certainly not the answer. Jesus is the answer if the question is "How can I be an authentic human being?" Jesus is the answer if the question is "How can we cut through all the pretense, all the deceit, all the lies that threaten to destroy our souls and murder our spirits?"

Even a cursory glance at the gospels reveals a Jesus who boldly exposes those destructive forces. And yet so much of Christianity has been consumed by a continuing attempt at pretense, deceit and lies. What Jesus came to reveal was the Good News and the Good News is that God loves you. You...not your accomplishments, not your good intentions, not your pleasant outlook or optimistic attitude...just you. How we distort this wondrous gift! From the moment we are born, we are incessantly reminded that we must do what Jesus damned. We must pretend. We must act good even when we feel bad. We must believe even when we doubt. We must smile even when we want to scream. This, people tell us, is Christianity. No it isn't. It is hell. It is precisely the opposite of the truth that Jesus revealed. It is the opposite of grace. It's the ultimate bad news. I will say it again. God loves you. God doesn't love your Christianity. God doesn't love your good works or your right beliefs. God loves you.