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#surfingjesus by #rickgriffinart (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZPhweGlr1y/?utm_medium=tumblr

"Surfing Jesus" As I walk through studying my Bachelor of Theology Degree, I'm always amazed by how practical courses are. In particular, the Profs always manage to create assignments that are relevant and actually enjoyable. Such is the case tonight, and the reasoning behind this post! I have been asked to keep a blog which outlines the portrayal of Jesus in our mainstream media and culture. As I set out to find some interesting representations of Jesus in our society, the first image that popped into my head immediately, was the Surfing Jesus T-Shirt. This shirt is available at Journey's, virtually anywhere across Canada, and I'm assuming in the States, as well. I have a friend who wears it around campus and it always manages to bring a chuckle to a crowd who has never seen it before. Initially when I saw the shirt, I was actually a bit conflicted. Sometimes as Christians, we're trained to cry 'offended' at every little thing, when Jesus pops up in the media around us. My initial reaction to this t-shirt was, wait - should I be offended by this? Brutally honest, but accurate. In reality, I find the t-shirt to be quite funny and it actually impresses me that no matter people's faith, they are willing to wear it around in public. Is it meant to be poking fun at Jesus? Maybe someone with a hardened heart might feel that wearing it is ironic. But I think in this case, it would be so easy to bridge the gap between the Christian and the non-Christian and get real conversations happening, with something as simple as a funny t-shirt. Jesus walked on water. If he tried to go surfing therefore, why would he need a board?! I'm sure a pompous theologian might claim that poking fun at Jesus's miracles in this way is rude, but I think it's a great way to start conversations. God loves to laugh! He invented it! I think God sees this t-shirt and gets a little chuckle every time. There are certainly lines that should not be crossed. But lighthearted humour such as this is not an example. Christians need to take a step back and ponder for a second: are we more concerned about being "offended" than about taking opportunities to talk about Christ? If the world is going to talk about Jesus, why would we try to shut them up?