What would it be like if Jesus hadn’t come to earth 2,000+ years ago? What if God had decided to send His Son in our modern, messed up times? Throw out the picture of a man in a long white, perfectly ironed tunic with strappy leather sandals, maybe rocking a purple sash. It’s 2021. Maybe Jesus is rocking some skinny jeans, flannel, and a man bun. He is currently on the search for His disciples, but just like in the Bible, He’s not looking for the cream of the crop. No, He’s looking for the worst of the worst. The people we roll our eyes at. The people who get “cancelled.” I’ve taken it upon myself to list the types of people I think He would choose and what we would learn from each.
An Insta Famous Star
Whether they’re precariously balancing off a wall in Santorini or showing their current view of Yosemite National Park from inside their custom converted Sprinter van, these people are unreal. Somehow my generation has managed to make careers out of filters and viral dances splashed across social media platforms but more power to them, I guess. However, lives of seemingly endless pleasure comes with caveats. Nothing says “cancel culture” like digging up a not so flattering photo from one of these influencer’s pasts and ruining a future. Jesus would probably pick one of these poor, unfortunate, fallen from society’s graces souls to teach us about empathy, materialism, and envy.
A Vegan Mommy Blogger
It’s totally normal that a mom of three rambunctious boys manages to feed her family delicious vegan meals three times a day, photograph and edit them to look enviable, and create and run a profitable blog and Youtube channel, all while remaining flawlessly airbrushed with beachy waves. I mean, who hasn’t? Jesus could use a disciple like this to not only become a writer and recorder like Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, but also teach us about the dangers of gluttony and seeking perfection outside of Him.
A Reality Star or Former “The Bachelor” Contestant
When you think “human eye roll” very possibly a reality star of some kind pops into your head. The idea of someone making a career out of fake drama, 15 minutes of fame, memes, and a possible catchphrase (if we’re lucky) kind of kills me inside. However, the thought of Jesus picking a known face to show the transformation from greed, vanity, and lust makes a lot of sense. I have no doubt Netflix would try to create a show about Jesus finding his next disciple.
Dog Clothing Designer
Whoever decided that dogs really needed tutus and football jerseys is beyond me. What did man’s best friend ever do to deserve that? All I know is people who create anything that diminishes man’s best friend really needs saving. What lessons could Jesus teach us using an individual like that? Nothing. Not a thing. They’re simply the worst. We’d all just become animal advocates.
Politician from Your Opposing Side
I’m sure many would expect this individual to become the modern-day Judas. The most hated Disciple of the pack. Clearly, we’re not meant to care for or love this person. Jesus probably chose them for lessons on discernment or sensing lies, right? Not necessarily. He would choose a person like this to teach us to love through our differences and opposing viewpoints. To seek to understand each other and remember that our common goal is to fill up heaven with believers. This may be the most jarring of His choices but also the one that will teach us the most about becoming like Christ, to love our neighbor as ourselves.
You’re probably thanking God for sending Jesus when He did, right? It’s easier to romanticize life transformation with the likes of Peter and Paul, men seemingly worlds away, than to see it in our own culture. But, discipleship still happens to this day and can come from the most unlikely of places. Remember, don’t count out the gifts and stories that Jesus can use in every person to bring Himself glory.
Grace Cassidy
Multimedia Storyteller
