On the Bookshelf: Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge

I have a friend who is hysterically funny and smart and who collects Bad Jesus Art.

You heard me. And you know you’ve seen some. I, for one, get nervous around Jesus art, mostly because images don’t jive at all with how I picture the Jesus that now, today, gives me hope. For one thing, I don’t picture this Jesus as an angry Russian with fetal alcohol syndrome:

I also suspect my Jesus doesn’t wear a wig.

He might ride a motorcycle, though there’s no evidence of this in Scripture.

When you combine this abundant supply of Bad Jesus Art with our own tendency to make Jesus into someone distant, removed, depressed and Norwegian, we have created for ourselves a wacky image of how Jesus actually behaved when here on earth. I recently read John Eldredge’s book on this very topic.

He, for one, does not think Jesus wears a wig. In fact, he makes a compelling case for a Jesus who has a great sense of humor (phew!), gets angry at all the right things, despises legalism and loves being with his friends.

So, good book. You can buy it here.

What are you reading these days?