Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough by Jefferson Bethke
Release Date: October 7, 2013
Publisher: Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Genre: Religion/Christian Life/Spiritual Growth
ISBN: 9781400205394
Source: ARC from BEA 2013
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Abandon dead, dry, rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved Jefferson Bethke burst onto the cultural conversation in 2012 with a passionate, provocative poem titled, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” The four minute video of Bethke’s spoken-word performance literally became an overnight sensation, with seven million YouTube views in its first forty-eight hours (and 24+ million within a year). The message hit like a blizzard on social media sites and emails, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.
In Jesus > Religion Bethke unpacks the start contrasts that he drew in the poem- contrasts between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior.
Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he’s not a pastor or theologian, but simply a regular twenty-something, soul-starved searcher who cried out for a life greater than for which he had settled. Along his journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him beyond the props of false religion.
For those not familiar with Jeff Bethke, the introduction of his book, Jesus > Religion begins with a portion of the poem that made him so well known, Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus. After viewing this video when it came out on YouTube, I was hooked. So much resonated with me. The words that were spoken were so easy to relate to and connect with, as a young person, as a Christian, as a writer, as so many things.
Since that moment, I had been hoping and waiting for Jeff to release a book. He couldn’t just leave it at that. No way. It’s like the poem was his debut and a book, the sequel. I knew there was more behind that poem. We all did. Hence the 25 million plus views. We all wanted and needed more. And finally, the very much anticipated Jesus > Religion releases next month! I was elated when I saw advanced copies at Book Expo America (BEA) this past May and have since underlined something on just about every page of the book. I can’t wait for the book to release so I can buy a hardcover that’s clean on the inside! Me and my annotations. Anyway…
I love this book. Everything about it. The message, the pacing and transitions, the chapter titles, the questions, etc… Each chapter (ten in all) ends with a handful of discussion questions (which I highly recommend you answer, whether or not you’re in a book club or classroom setting) and here are five of them to give you a taste of what you can expect:
1. Why do Christians focus more on supposed acts of righteousness than the needs of others?
2. How is the Jesus portrayed in the gospels different from the Jesus promoted by religion?
3. Can you follow Jesus even if that means not achieving success as it’s defined by modern American culture? Why or why not?
4. What masks do you wear? How do they keep you from God’s grace?
5. How can you be used for God’s glory in your current situation?
Before getting to these questions though, there are some hard hitting words you’ll read that will make you see yourself and the world in a completely different way or help you reaffirm what you know in ways you hadn’t thought of before.
Jeff tackles issues including but not limited to:
* Looking at the bible as a love letter rather than a rule book
* The Christian subculture we have created and exchanged for the truth
* The world hating us as we’re often judgmental, hypocritical, and legalistic while claiming to follow a Jesus who is forgiving, authentic, and loving
* God wanting you and not what you do
* Looking to the Christian religion rather than the bible and rebelling against God when you’re really rebelling against religion (& beliefs/actions God himself rejected!)
* Putting your stock in the essence of who God is rather than what He can give – That’s when people say, “I tried God. He didn’t work for me.” Usually the truth is they tried to use God, and it didn’t work for them.
* Church as a place to drop the act
I can’t pinpoint a chapter or issue that touched me the most because the truth touched me and that was everywhere. Truth is all around us and this book will help you unmask and accept it. Are we willing to face why we are lost? Why are we crying out? Because things aren’t going our way or we need help finding God’s? The thing is, we have no one to face but God. We have nothing to hear but truth. But God.
Silence is terrifying.
If silence were a picture, I think it would be a map. A map with a star that reads, “You are here.” A map to show all the places where fear and doubt rest. A map to show all the places we’re going and could go. A map to show all the places we’re sewing into and shouldn’t be. Just take a moment to see God. He’s everywhere. Now is the time to see the map for what it is instead of what it’s convenient to be. This book is like a directory to the map.
Jeff says it best when he writes, My true religion, as it is with most of my American peers, was the religion of moralism dressed in Christian clothes. Guilty. Or maybe you’re not guilty of this but of admission. It’s hard to convince people Jesus is a great savior when they don’t think they even need saving. But here’s the thing. Grace isn’t there for some future me but for the real me.
Religion says do. Jesus says done.
Bottom line: You don’t have to clean yourself up to come to Jesus. You come to Jesus, and he cleans you up. Grace is so misunderstood, underappreciated, and abused but Jesus > Religion really clears the air about grace and most of the questions you’ve been asking yourself for quite some time. You’re not alone on this walk and you don’t have to put up a front while you’re on it. We’re all hurting and we all want to get better. So may I highly recommend purchasing Jesus > Religion as it will help you on your walk in more ways than one and give you so much to be grateful for now and forever. What you read in this book now will save you a lot of “If only I knew then what I know now” thoughts. Simply put, if there’s one book you read all year, let it be this one.
Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough by Jefferson Bethke releases October 7, 2013.