I remember in middle school being grudgingly forced to read a few classic works by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and at least one other which I have forced from my memory. Having grown up around people reading old school King James version of the Bible, understanding the Shakespearean language was not too difficult for me. But throughout middle school and high school I rather despised Shakespeare. Honestly for me it was not Shakespeare himself who bothered me, it was the fans.
You can spot a Shakespeare fan a mile away. Just say his name, any character's name, or sometimes even words like "doth" and "yonder" and their eyes light up, glaze over, and they begin foaming at the mouth. By the time I reached high school I was sick of English teachers swooning over his words.
But somewhere in college I decided to give Shakespeare another chance. I accepted maybe there was a reason for all the hype even if the fans drive me crazy. I realized my issue was not with Shakespeare. Once I got over this I discovered I do in fact appreciate Shakespeare.
I feel Jesus can get the same kind of backlash from His fans as Shakespeare. Too many people dismiss Jesus because of His fans; hypocritical, not relatable, and broken. It is sad to think people can miss the God of the universe because of some crazy fans. What is the solution? Do we need to set standards before someone is allowed to be a part of the Church? In an age where marketability and branding are so important do we need to protect our image from anyone who might infringe upon our trademark or defame Jesus and the Church?
Some people get upset when the Church is full of broken people, but this is exactly what the Church was created to be, a body of broken people seeking after the one who can save them. While it would be nice if the Jesus fans could behave in a more marketable fashion, most of the burden of missing the Truth lies with the person who judges based on the fans. Who are we to dictate what the fans and followers must be like before we will make the commitment? It is true dealing with other broken people as a broken person can be aggravating, but Truth is not determined by fandom or popular vote. Jesus is worth it whether His fans act like it or not.
