This poem is all about the speaker. It is one that I cannot imagine being performed at home, alone in the living room. This is meant for an audience. It is meant to be spoken with humor and vulnerability. It's meant to be spoken with a human voice. It is not meant to be spoken, necessarily, by an avid believer in Jesus, in the strictly conservative religious sense, as this poem could possibly be seen as offensive, as if Jesus were being made into a joke or spectacle.
I think the poem speaks to religion and the many ways in which Jesus can be viewed. I find this poem to be hilarious, honest, frank, tasteful, and beautiful. It's the voice of a man who believes that all in all, Jesus is a good man. He's cool and a great role model: "he's no/show off/That's what I like about Jesus, (stanza 1)." He is someone to admire, to follow. The speaker makes the listener and reader relate to Jesus by using common cultural references. And, isn't that the intention: for Jesus to be someone we can relate to now matter how much time has passed? What would Jesus do, right?
Well, according to Mason he "makes a kickass mix tape" and "loves cows" and "likes blue jeans" like the rest of us. He's a regular person like you and me who has likes and dislikes. But at the same time he's the Son of God. The speaker cannot deny that he is not merely a human. He is omniscient: "Jesus pisses me off with his honesty sometimes. But it's not like he's ever wrong." He uses humor in wanting Jesus to make Diet Coke instead of Wine, making the point that for Jesus, there is no difference between the two, implying perhaps, something bigger in the sense that everything and everyone should be equal. He also narrates the ridiculous antics through which humans endeavor to get into Heaven, which Jesus finds to often times be self-centered and not genuine.
All in all this is a very spiritually rooted poem with an "unorthodox" approach: "Jesus wanted me to tell you he loves you/Jesus also wants you to stop doing that thing." I nearly burst into a fit of laughter with this line because even though Jesus loves you no matter what, he doesn't always agree with the way you live your life and we should all strive to be closer to Jesus. At the same time there is still a hint of human uncertainty and we see that Jesus is still above us: "Jesus tells me I'm saved/Then he laughs real loud/Jesus makes me nervous when he does that." It leaves the audience with a particular uncertainty. I felt a knot in my stomach in the last line. It makes one question the implications. Only a strong voice that believes in the integrity of this poem can perform this piece properly.
I loooveed this poem! I thought it was hilarious but also very real. I often think about what Jesus would be like if He was alive today. What would He wear? How would He act? Would He be easily stereotyped? Would He actually have any followers? I feel as if this poem is Mason's attempt to try and convey his idea of the 21st century Jesus. He speaks of Him as a normal, quirky human being who just happens to be right 100% of the time and have a really solid perspective on life.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the last line is haunting. What does that laughter mean? What is Jesus trying to get at? It's ambiguity and uncertainty makes me nervous as well.