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Latonya lives in Virginia with hubby and twin toddlers. Latonya is a Hampton University graduate and works for a large faith-based health system on the east coast.

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Jesus Christ was a Community Organizer

September 8th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

As I think about those who recently mocked the term ‘Community Organizer’, the first thing that comes to my mind is Christian Conservative. I apologize in advance if you consider yourself one and are offended (note: I am a believer; a Christian).

I detest the phrase ‘Christian Conservative’. I think it’s an oxymoron and exclusive. Was Jesus Christ a ‘Christian Conservative’? Well, he wasn’t a Christian and I’d argue tooth and nail that he had conservative views. I think we get too caught up in “being” a Christian as opposed to being “Christ-like”. Additionally, conservative is defined as limiting change…hmmmm. If you did not know, Christ came to shake things up!

Jesus Christ was a Community Organizer

Community organizing is a process by which disempowered, disenfranchised people—most often low- and middle-income people—are brought together to act in their common self-interest (i.e, loss of jobs, poor schools, voting discrepancies, etc). Community organizers act as coordinators in an effort to meet community needs for purpose, dignity and prosperity. Didn’t Christ do this?

At the height of his ministry, Jesus Christ attracted huge crowds numbering in the thousands, primarily in the areas of Galilee and Perea (in modern-day Israel and Jordan respectively). During his sermons, he preached about service and humility, the forgiveness of sin, faith, turning the other cheek, love for one’s enemies as well as friends, and the need to follow the spirit of the law in addition to the letter.

Jesus often met with society’s outcasts, such as the publicani –kinda sounds like Republican–(Imperial tax collectors who were despised for extorting money), including the apostle Matthew; when the Pharisees objected to Jesus’ meeting with sinners rather than the righteous, Jesus replied that it was the sick who need a physician, not the healthy (Matthew 9:9-13). According to Luke and John, Jesus also made efforts to extend his ministry to the Samiritans, who followed a different formof the Israelite religion. This is reflected in his preaching to the Samaritans of Sychar. (John 4:1-42).

It sounds like Senator Barack Obama is more in line with Christ— universal healthcare, helping those who struggle to help themselves, service to others, bipartisanship, turning the other cheek, change we can believe in and meeting with those world leaders who are associated with wrong (sinners)—than his opponents and critics.

I work for a Catholic health system and had a meeting today with the SVP of Mission Services. That department’s goal is community outreach, help to those in need and caring for the physically sick. As an organization, we pray in the name of Jesus before meetings and yes, organize local communities as a our mission indicates.

For the pompous right who look down on community organizing and look up to the Son and the Father, you should check yourselves RIGHT now! God is watching and he really doesn’t like ugly.

Viewing 18 Comments

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    Very insightful and deep. Great post.
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    This is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! It's the kind of thing I say all the time, and is completely true. Great post. Keep it up.
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    here! here!
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    That makes you a community organizer by being a disciple of Jesus Christ! 8) So true in all that you eloquently stated. Thank you for a thorough discussion of Jesus Christ as a community organizer for you teach his vision and hope through your blog and all you do online.

    Excellent points!
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    If they didn't know, now they know. Outstanding!
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    Amen!
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    Good Article but what's up with the picture YBP? Christ was black as were most of his disciples. Wake up people!!!
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    Barack Obama may have been a community organizer, but he doesn't want to discuss what he did as an organizer or give us an example of the people he supposedly helped! He doesn't want to talk his long time pastor Jeremiah Wright, his unrepentant terrorist buddy Bill Ayers or convicted felon Tony Rezko who helped Obama purchase his mansion.

    What truly disgusts is that the people who use this phrase for political gain are the same people who despise and ridicule Christianity at any chance they get.

    Barrack Obama is no Jesus Christ and there are plenty Democrats like FDR, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton who were also Governors!

    By he way if you bothered to understand the bible Pontius Pilate wanted nothing to do with the execution of Jesus. It was the Jewish leaders at the time who forced Pilate to condemn Jesus to death.

    I know you feel threatened by Gov Palin because unlike Obama she's a strong intelligent person who talks about her record and gives us specifics about what she wants to accomplish in Washington. Obama only wants to talk about change wihout any specifics and avoids debating McCain in town hall forums because he might actually have to answer a tough question or two!!

    You can't keep hiding behind your friends in the press Obama. You might as well admit that you don't have the experience and you don't have what it takes to be President.

    You should have gone with Hillary......
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    RPT,
    I see you are passionate about the GOP ticket. More power to you! How you feel about Palin is the opposite of how I feel. How you feel about Obama is opposite of how I feel. So be it...contrasting views!

    --Sidenote: Will Palin put Air Force Two on eBay and lose money (once again)? What an accomplishment in the District of Columbia!

    All of your statements didn't touch on the fact that Jesus was not conservative in his outreach. He was attracted to outcasts and sinners. Do 'Christian Conservatives' like Palin know this? If Jesus was walking the land today, my guess is that the likes of Palin and her GOP (Grand Ole Party) drones would treat him like they treat Obama. God doesn't like ugly...

    Ponder and digest...
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    I don't know what the Community Organizer emails are about, but if they're about voting Democrat or Republican, please understand that my vote is based on my Christian beliefs: (1)Marriage defined by God = one man and one woman and (2) killing the unborn child...very big on my list. The enemy has fooled the world into believing that these two sins are somehow right. My bible tells me otherwise. When in fact, as a woman of God, I believe these two topics are more important than any of the other issues people want to vote for. Therefore, I cannot and will not vote for anyone who does not believe in the sanctity of marriage, (not man and man, nor woman and woman). Nor can I vote for someone who believes in Prochoice. I trust God. There are no faults or mistakes in His design (men are supposed to be men, women are supposed to be women, and babies are supposed to be born). He is God Almighty, a perfect God, a righteous God. He is Elohim, Creator of everything.

    Consequently, because God is righteous and I want to be like Him. I trust His Word which says: the sons and daughters are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). I ask Him daily that He lead me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake, not mine. (psalm 23:3). Therefore, he gets the glory for directing and guiding my life and my vote, not me. His word also says that in the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death (psalm 12:28). God is not like man that He should lie; His Word is forever settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89)

    Joyously, Jesus was not a murderer. Therefore, neither am I. If that makes me a "publican outcast", then I'm glad to have such a title because that means I've joined with Christ in His suffering and in His rejection by mankind. I choose Life, not death.
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    Jesus didn't organize the community -- that was the job of the Zealots who sought to overthrown Rome.

    http://thekingdomcome.com/jesus_community_organ...
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    Oh (self) righteous one....yes he did! If we define it as empowering the weak and powerless, then he did just that! But if we define it how YOU want to define it, to make Obama look bad, then let the spin begin! Jesus was a healer, a counselor, a listener, and liberal. He wasn't afraid to touch the sick and sinful (to bring them closer to the Father, of course).

    I like the way Jernigan cherry picks "Christian beliefs" (~sarcasm~). The sins you refer to (abortion and gay lifestyles/marriage) are just that--sins (albeit I don't agree with these choices/lifesyles in 99% of cases). All sins are equal in God's eyes...no sin is greater. We are all sinners and fall very short of the Glory of God...but my friend, there is a Savior and his name is Jesus.

    So if these are your breaking points and you vote for these reasons (and Christian beliefs) then why aren't you a Jehovah's Witness? They don't vote, yet cast their vote for the Lord.

    Also, do you believe in the death penalty? Many who oppose abortion believe in the death penalty as well. Where's the logic in that? Both are murder. And please don't caveat this topic...both are murder, period.

    Let's repent sinners and ask for forgiveness.
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    Latonya,
    Yes, we are all sinners. However, you shoud read your bible. Knowing and study God's Word is not "cherry picking", but getting closer to the One I love and adore and strive to be like. He desires for us to know His Word more than anything else...read your bible.

    We are all sinners saved by grace...but there is one who knew no sin who became sin for us and His name is Jesus. Romans 8 speaks of shall we go on sinning (killing babies and allowing gays and lesbians to redefine marriage); Absolutely not. God sent angels to Soddam and Gomorrah to burn the whole city because of the gay and lesbian lifestyle...think about it.

    Your argument is weak compared to God's Word. My vote is for the Lord by standing up for righteousness because His Word tell me that "I am the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus." Please, for your sake, read your bible before you speak of things you know nothing about. Your words are comparable to a Pharisee, who Jesus called "a brood of vipers".
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    Okay I found this and I wanted to weigh in my lowly 2 cents. The reason why I dont believe Jesus was a liberal is because he wasnt about the GOVERNMENT helping the poor. Instead he was about the PEOPLE helping the poor. I think if we all did our bit to help the underprivileged the money wouldnt be siphoned into things its not supposed to be. If we taught our sons and daughters that if we just did so much like cooking a dinner for our elderly neighbor who isnt making ends meet and cant afford enough groceries. I think our big churches should put more money into helping our poor instead of making their churches more "state of the art". I know they put a lot of money for the third world countries but if they reached out to our poor areas dont you think it would be beautiful? Especially if they DIDNT make it into a recruiting thing. I say this only because thats how people will see it at first. "They are only doing it for this reason". But if we did it without "spreading" the word of God and instead showed it through our actions and let them come to us what a wonderful thing this would be. Now I only found this through a search and have not looked throughout the site. One note I see is that Jesus was black. He was not. He was not white either. He was Jewish. His ancestry is notably accounted in the Bible so you can trace it.
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    Jesus? A community organizer?

    Jesus came to introduce and to set up an entire Kingdom!

    Come one, now! Obama followers must be getting their Bible study from Reverend Wright?

    Pilate had NO authority over Jesus!


    John 10:18
    "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

    Matthew 28:18
    "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."


    That's a community organizer to you?


    Jesus is a KING!


    Matthew 27:11
    "Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
    "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.


    Jesus came as a king who came in humility..not as an elitist!

    Community organizer!? HAH!


    "Governor" Pilate had NO authority over Jesus! Jesus was greater than any governor!


    Jesus was a Kingdom leader!


    John 19:11
    "Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."




    Community organizer!? That's plain stupid!
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    "Turning the other cheek" was Jesus imparting wisdom to the proud religious Jews who would become belligerent in the face of Roman abuse. They would get slapped in the face.. get proud and belligerent... and end up getting seriously hurt, or worse.

    "Turning the other cheek" is not about every day offenses. It was about HOW TO KEEP ALIVE under Roman occupation. Jews did not go around slapping other Jews in the face. Jesus was telling the Jews to drop their Jewish pride and stay alive! To show love instead of hate to the hateful.

    It had nothing to do with national defense. It had nothing to do with the execution of criminals. It had everything to do with staying alive under Roman occupation. The Romans were a calloused and brutal culture
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    hell is described in scripture, among other things, as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. that's what i hear. talk radio, pundits, comments to this blog entry. gnashing of teeth. many of my spiritual leaders teach that heaven and hell are here on earth. which experience are we creating finding ways to separate and vilify one another? please, someone tell me how to judge someone and love them at the same time. seriously, try it. judge someone AND feel unconditional love. we cannot contribute to someone we are making wrong, or making an outsider or making a sinner. love one another. i think that includes governments. love one another. i think that includes someone whose "lifestyle" you don't agree with (how come it's ok to strip rights from homosexuals, but not liars, adulterers, or people who eat pork, or adulterers who eat pork and lie). love one another. i think that includes legislation, and not a market system that perpetuates poverty and inequality. my job is not to determine who is "right" or "wrong" my job is to perfect the Christ within me, and to love to the fullest extent possible. I feel fairly certain that if we all turned inward to do that, we would find less separation. we would find less opportunity to point out the spec in the eyes of others, knowing what could be found in our own. it is impossible to look at your neighbor, and behold that they TOO are made in the image and likeness of God and treat him or her like a second class citizen. how can we love God, who cannot see, but not love every single person we meet, black or white, tall or thin, democrat or republican?

    the task and the call are quite simple: love, peace. It was one of Jesus' many gifts to us. There is no way to peace. Peace is the way*! There is no finding love. Love is the way! Set aside your heavy garments: judgment, fear, anger. The kingdom of heaven is upon us. Are we choosing heaven, or are we weeping and gnashing our teeth?

    * title of a text by Deepak Chopra
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    you hit it right on the spot brother!
 
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