Antiquated Jesus

This past week I read a narrative poem titled “The Hanging of the Crane”, that left an unexpected impression on me. Rarely, if ever, do I read poetry, but this particular week I decided to read one of the old, crusty books I purchased from my recent thrifting adventures. The book I selected was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1874 and it addressed the topic of the family. Longfellow begins his book by depicting a sacred moment that is foreign to those living in the twenty first century. He describes the moment that a newly married couple moves into a home with the help of their loved ones and then hangs the crane in the fireplace. If you were like me at the time of reading this book, you may have no conception of what this means. As it turns out, every home prior to the invention of the oven had an iron metal hook that would be hung in the fireplace to provide a place for a cooking pot to rest. The hanging of this iron crane symbolized that the home was ready to be inhabited and memories were ready to be made.

The remainder of the book consists of a young man envisioning his life in his new home with his wife. One night as he is looking in the fire, he begins to imagine what sort of events will unfold in this home. He sees himself having children, and then those children getting married and having children. One by one, they go off, live their lives and then in the end return to spend time with him and his aging wife before their journey and ultimately the story comes to an end. The overwhelming tone of the story is joyful expectation as the man dreams of the events he sees in his mind. There is a certain hope for what will take place now that the crane has been firmly established in the home. Both meals and memories are ready to be made.

As I read this book, I couldn’t help but reflect on how there is a great need for Jesus to be re-established as the central anchor within the modern home. Like the iron hook that upholds the pot that will feed and nourish the family, Jesus is to be the firm foundation that provides support and sustenance to the family. The sad reality is that in many homes, Jesus is not this anchor. He is viewed much like the iron crane that was used in the 1800’s for cooking, no longer necessary. Another word used to describe this reality is antiquated. Somewhere along the way, culture and society has deemed Jesus as obsolete, old fashioned, or out of date. As a result, He is no longer invited into the home and our families, churches, institutions, and school systems pay the price.

This antiquated view of Jesus that permeates our culture can in many ways be traced back to the movement that took place in Europe known as the Enlightenment. During the early 1600’s and late 1700’s there was a shift that took place where human reason and scientific investigation acted as the driving force in making sense of reality. Somewhere along the way, certain individuals began challenging the long-upheld beliefs of the church, specifically as they related to Jesus. Human reason was employed, along with new scientific methods for textual criticism and the historic Jesus of Christianity was reduced to a mere man who happened to be a good moral teacher with an exceptional following. The result was that over time this watered down view of Jesus that rejects His Divinity found its way into not only institutions, churches and school systems, but also our homes.

How could a university like Harvard that was at one time deeply rooted in biblical principles drift so far from what it used to be? The answer is that over time, leaders within this institution adopted an antiquated view of Jesus. The original mission of raising up ministers for the church, and faithful followers of Jesus was forgotten. As a result, the school’s early motto, "Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae", truth for Christ and the Church, was forgotten. The goal shifted from pursuing truth for the sake of Christ and the church to seeking truth for the sake of self. In the end, Jesus was largely eliminated from the equation and Harvard became one among many institutions that adopted an antiquated view of Jesus.

So, the question is, where do we go from here? What do we do when most of the major institutions in America that were once founded upon biblical principles have abandoned those altogether and as a result abandoned the historic Jesus? We make every effort to re-establish Christ as the anchor within our homes. On a personal level, we determine to let Jesus first take up residence in our hearts. Once He is firmly established in our lives, we will take him with us wherever we go. This includes into our homes. When he truly becomes the iron crane, or anchor within our homes, society will begin to take a different shape. Thriving families like the one depicted in Longfellow’s poem will begin to exist and as a result the members of these types of families will go out into the world and shape the churches, institutions, and schools that have forgotten the true and historical Jesus who has the power not only to educate with his words of wisdom, but the power to save.

I suppose the challenge to those who are still reading at this point is for you to sit and muse like the young man in the story over what it might look like for Jesus to be the anchor of your life, the iron crane, and invite him anew to inhabit every area of your life, and especially your home. This challenge extends to not only those who are married, but also those who one day hope to be married. It extends to those who have a vision much like the one this young man dreamed up. Start now by making sure Jesus is situated well within the home of your heart, guiding every decision you make. To the married persons who have children, along with those who are patiently awaiting children, contemplate what type of home you are currently creating for those you hope will one day have an impact on the world. If after having contemplated, you realize you have failed to make the type of preparations necessary for this end, I would challenge you to continue to sit and muse on what God might do in your life and your family’s life when fully surrendered to Him. Lastly, to the couple who has not been able to have children, or the single person who has chosen not to marry, know Christ desires to be a part of your home just the same. Whatever the circumstance you find yourself in, determine today not to adopt an antiquated view of Jesus, and instead let Him be the iron crane on which every good thing in life suspends.

And now I sit and muse on what may be,

And in my vision see, or seem to see,  

Through floating vapors interfused with light,

Shapes indeterminate, that gleam and fade,

As shadows passing into deeper shade    

Sink and elude the sight.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow