Y’know it’s all too easy for the dial-tone step-n-fetch American Christian to blow through that list of names and not realize, or rather, care that there were actual people attached to that august line-up.
One of the things I dig about Jesus’ original crew is none of them were squeaky clean religious fundamentalists. Not only that, I bet most, if not all, of the pastoral search committees who take their cue from culture in selecting ‘pastors’ and not the Holy Ghost wouldn’t have given these sunbaked sinners the time of day.
Oh, by the way, do you know what fundamentalist stands for?
You don’t?
Well, I’ll help you here.
It stands for ‘no fun’, ‘mostly dumb’ and ‘quite mental’.
You’re welcome.
Anyway …
Jesus chose rough cussing fishermen.
Imagine, if you will, the cast on the Deadliest Catch getting converted. Yep, these weren’t dainty choirboys. They didn’t wear cardigans. They weren’t Mr. Rogers. These dudes were rougher than Grandma’s breath.
These men didn’t have the degrees you’d think they’d need to change the planet. God always chooses the base things to shame the wise (1Corinthians 1:26). God always chooses from the back of the line.
Look man, God can anoint a donkey, a hooker, a teenager, a whoremonger, an old geezer, an adulterer, a drunk, and a whomever to do his bidding. It’s never about who we are, it is all about what God makes us to be. After these chap-lipped anglers went through the School of Christ for three years they were prime pickings to change the planet.
Oh, by the way, they were not the porcelain-skinned bearded women goofy artists have depicted them to be. They were holy troublemakers … world upsetters who suffered cruel deaths, beatings and imprisonment for the same Gospel that most lukewarm Christians living today take for granted.
*Here’s my depiction of the disciples. The original painting is sold but custom-sizable prints are available to fit any wall space. If life imitates art, don’t get lame art.
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