What Would Jesus Cut?

Recently I have been watching the show "Sleeper Cell." It's kind of a terrifying idea, and it's certainly not put together in a nice way, but there has been one aspect that fascinated me. The main character is a proud Muslim member of the FBI who is working under cover to expose terrorists. His biggest struggle, however, seems to be keeping his spirits up as those he must work with manipulate his faith to suit their own ends. That's certainly something I can identify with, the anger and frustration over those that misrepresent your faith to the world.

This morning, when I was checking headlines, I spotted a blog post about a new campaign to rally support for causes in the budget. The campaign, organized by Christian leaders throughout the country, is called "What Would Jesus Cut?" The group has taken out a full page ad, and plans a longer campaign in coming weeks as they attempt to pressure the Federal government to be conscientious during this budget cycle.

The goal is to prevent social aide programs — specifically those programs that provide assistance to the most vulnerable in our own country and overseas — from bearing the brunt of budget cuts. The representatives of the campaign cited Jesus' exhortation to care for the least of these.

It is true that Jesus said we would be measured by what we did to show His love to those in need. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus lays out how we will be measured for our actions on this Earth. He says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

I have long felt that a failing of the modern Christian church is a lack of emphasis on that exhortation in Scripture. It's hard to see the urban decay, the generations being lost to socioeconomic blight, and not feel that Christians could do better. Certainly we should advocate those causes in a responsible way through the budgeting process. There is a reason that new Christians in sometimes third-world countries are training missionaries up to come and reach the lost and disenfranchised in America.

But I am troubled by the process this campaign is taking. To me, cutely branding these concerns in a "What Would Jesus Cut?" campaign cheapens our faith. This kind of "bumper sticker" theology waters down the message and leaves the Christian movement open to criticism, even if the message is valid.

Second, a big part of this movement seems directed at bashing the American military machine. While I would certainly agree, as most would, that our current military actions have been protracted and misguided, simply dismissing our armed forces, and the men and women that give their lives to that cause, seems short-sighted.

Finally, I can't help but wonder if the funds and energy being spent on this campaign couldn't be better used accomplishing some of the goals that it seeks to protect. One of the issues raised in "The Truth Project" is the idea the church has allowed the government to usurp it's role and responsibility in a number of social spheres. Rather than spending money to encourage the government to fund programs to help the most vulnerable in our society, couldn't the church create programs to fill the void?

One of my favorite Christian authors is Donald Miller. One of his biggest passions was correcting the problem of fatherlessness in America, something he was familiar with. Out of his personal wealth and influence, using his connections with churches across the country, he started a mentorship program that is thriving. When talking about the reason for this in a message he noted that for Christians "the resources are there and the [Biblical] mandate is there" for starting these programs. It's just a matter of whether the will is there.

Our right and privilege as Americans is having our voice heard in the government. We should never stop advocating for, and supporting ideological issues of importance. But the church can, and should, do more. We shouldn't just rely on the government to fill in the gaps. The buck stops with us.