A couple of days ago I spied a title at Changing Hands bookstore that invited me to pick it up. On the bookshelf was a book written by Deepak Chopra. It’s title, “The Third Jesus,” really captivated me. I read a few paragraphs and put it down. Yesterday, while visiting the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale I saw the book again. This time it was in the center’s bookstore. After I got back to my sisters home, I mentioned to my hosts that wanted to return to Changing Hands and get the book. Little did I know that later in the afternoon, my Mom would drive over to the store and pick it up for me.
I started to read it last night and spent some more time with it this morning. It’s a good read and Chopra has some good insights. It’s not the first time I’ve read books about Jesus that invite a different interpretation of his life and purpose than those proposed in most theological studies. A couple of years ago I read, “Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom,” by Albert Nolan.
For most of my adult life I’ve been troubled by the dichotomy between what Jesus said and what the Christian churches teach. Jesus is very clear on retributive justice. There isn’t any room for it in the gospel. There is no “just war” in the Gospel.