Morning Gospel

“You want ta know th’ truth of Christianity? You ain’t gonna find it in this church. Damn, son, you ain’t gonna find it in any church.”

Murphy, my goldendoodle, and I were walking through town this morning, and stopped to greet a man standing out front of one of the many churches on Main St.

“No sir. No church preaches Jesus ‘cause Jesus was a revolutionary and churches is for keepin’ the people down. What do Jesus say? The meek will inherit th’ earth. You see any meek runnin’ things in this world? What do Jesus say? Th’ last will be first? You see any last folks in charge? What do Jesus say? God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You see God’s will working in this world? God’s will is that th’ poor and th’ widow and th’ orphan and th’ powerless be uplifted and treated with dignity. Where’s that happenin’ in this world? No, sir, the church don’t preach Jesus they preach Christ, th’ god of th’ rich who wants your money and your time and your energy so you are too tired and bamboozled by dreams of heaven to make a revolution here on earth. They don’t preach the Jesus of the Jews, they preach the Christ of Rome.”

Rome? Like the Catholic Church?

“A’course not! Rome as in th’ Roman Empire that occupied and exploited th’ poor in ancient Israel. Sure Catholics is part of it, but Protestants too, and Jews and Muslims and any religion that takes your money and your dignity and gives it to the rich all the while promisin’ that you’ll get it all back plus interest in th’ world t’ come. You know what they teach in church?”

Love? The Gospel of Jesus?

“Hell, no! Churches is teaching th’ gospel a surrender. Churches is teachin’ that Jesus wasn’t never talkin’ ‘bout this world but some pie in the sky world. So let th’ rich run this world, and know th’ poor’ll run th’ next world. This is th’ greatest scam in th’ history of man. And don’t think it just be Christians who be teachin’ this. I had a rabbi tell me once that rich people are usin’ up their inheritance in this world and will have nothin’ left in th’ world to come. You believe that? I don’t. This kinda teachin’ is just ta keep th’ poor from startin’ a revolution. But it’s commin. It’s commin’. Nice dog you got there.”

And the man walked on. Seriously. I love this town.