The Hillary Clinton/Douglas Coe "Controversy": What do Jesus and Hitler have in Common?
Given the "juiciness" of the Obama/Jeremiah Wright controversy, I guess it was inevitable that we would start to get bombarded with stories of presidential candidates and their affiliations with controversial religious figures.
So here we go.
The brain trust over at NBC came up with this "bombshell":
Some disclaimers. I'm not a huge fan of Douglas Coe, not so much because of the "point" of the NBC story, but for reasons I have touched upon elsewhere. And I hope I don't have to delve into the obvious and say that I'm no fan of Adolf Hitler, et al.
Having said that, I think the comparison that Coe is making, in this context, between Jesus and Hitler is dead on. What do Jesus and Hitler have in common? Answer: They both called their disciples to a life-altering allegiance, an allegiance that would necessarily transcend and trump any rival allegiances they may have had.
The difference, of course, was in the nature of that to which those disciples were called to allegiance. And, again, I really don't want to delve into the obvious.
And I really can't believe that anyone with any semblance of intelligence would have any serious disagreement in that regard. I think what the NBC piece hoped would be "controversial" was the shocking and offensive metaphors that Coe was using.
Here's a few other shocking and offensive metaphors, when viewed from a 1st century, Roman-occupied Jerusalem context:
- A story about a man from Samaria exhibiting more love than a Jewish priest.
- A story about a father humiliating himself by running down the street to greet his son who had shamed him, his family and the community.
- Words of judgment against the most holy site in history, and a claim that the blasphemer's own person would replace that site as the place and the means for getting in touch with God.
Anyone who said things like that in that time and in that place had to know that he would not only get himself ridiculed on national television, but would get himself executed.
Look, the Kingdom of God is a radical, revolutionary concept. Those called to enter it are called to an allegiance that is dangerous vis-a-vis the status quo.
The call to it must be as radical, revolutionary, dangerous, shocking and offensive as will be the life that is lived by those who choose to heed it.
Grace and Peace,
Raffi
So here we go.
The brain trust over at NBC came up with this "bombshell":
Some disclaimers. I'm not a huge fan of Douglas Coe, not so much because of the "point" of the NBC story, but for reasons I have touched upon elsewhere. And I hope I don't have to delve into the obvious and say that I'm no fan of Adolf Hitler, et al.
Having said that, I think the comparison that Coe is making, in this context, between Jesus and Hitler is dead on. What do Jesus and Hitler have in common? Answer: They both called their disciples to a life-altering allegiance, an allegiance that would necessarily transcend and trump any rival allegiances they may have had.
The difference, of course, was in the nature of that to which those disciples were called to allegiance. And, again, I really don't want to delve into the obvious.
And I really can't believe that anyone with any semblance of intelligence would have any serious disagreement in that regard. I think what the NBC piece hoped would be "controversial" was the shocking and offensive metaphors that Coe was using.
Here's a few other shocking and offensive metaphors, when viewed from a 1st century, Roman-occupied Jerusalem context:
- A story about a man from Samaria exhibiting more love than a Jewish priest.
- A story about a father humiliating himself by running down the street to greet his son who had shamed him, his family and the community.
- Words of judgment against the most holy site in history, and a claim that the blasphemer's own person would replace that site as the place and the means for getting in touch with God.
Anyone who said things like that in that time and in that place had to know that he would not only get himself ridiculed on national television, but would get himself executed.
Look, the Kingdom of God is a radical, revolutionary concept. Those called to enter it are called to an allegiance that is dangerous vis-a-vis the status quo.
The call to it must be as radical, revolutionary, dangerous, shocking and offensive as will be the life that is lived by those who choose to heed it.
Grace and Peace,
Raffi
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