A reader has taken issue with a comment that I’ve included on my WELCOME sidebar, in which I suggest we should approach this blog with an attitude of “WWJB” or “What would Jesus blog?” <\/p>\n
The writer notes: <\/p>\n
I’m sorry deacon, I think you are very mistaken and walking a dangerous path. <\/p>\n
He didn’t tell us to be Him. He told us to follow Him.<\/p>\n
It’s not about WWJD or WWJB, it’s not about “reading God’s mind”.<\/p>\n
WWJD is by nature Protestant; at root [it’s] an “emotional prosperity doctrine” of the ego.<\/p>\n
He never said to contemplate what He would do. He never taught His Apostles to do so.<\/p>\n
He told us what to do and how to do it. He told us, very clearly and specifically, how to Love.<\/p>\n
Lead us not into temptation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Well, okay. But I think the reader is taking that little thought experiment too far. To clarify: that “WWJB” admonition was intended to help maintain a thoughtful, considerate, decidedly Christian <\/span>tone here in this corner of the blogosphere, and to help keep readers (and Your Humble Blogger) from slinging mud (as much as possible anyway). <\/p>\n
And, more to the point about “being” Christ: I think that the invitation to “Come, follow me” is, by implication, an invitation to live one’s life in imitation of Christ. Which, of course, means asking oneself periodically “What would he do…?” <\/p>\n
Ultimately, it is a question that calls us not to inflate our ego or desire “prosperity.” <\/p>\n
Ultimately, it is a call to martyrdom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A reader has taken issue with a comment that I’ve included on my WELCOME sidebar, in which I suggest we should approach this blog with an attitude of “WWJB” or “What would Jesus blog?” The writer notes: I’m sorry deacon, I think you are very mistaken and walking a dangerous path. He didn’t tell us…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":365,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-the-mail"],"yoast_head":"\n
From the e-mailbag: "Deacon, you are walking a dangerous path" - The Deacon's Bench<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2009\/08\/from-the-e-mailbag-deacon-you-are-walking-a-dangerous-path.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From the e-mailbag: "Deacon, you are walking a dangerous path" - The Deacon's Bench\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A reader has taken issue with a comment that I’ve included on my WELCOME sidebar, in which I suggest we should approach this blog with an attitude of “WWJB” or “What would Jesus blog?” The writer notes: I’m sorry deacon, I think you are very mistaken and walking a dangerous path. 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