“Have you ever wondered what Jesus was like? I mean, really like?
Was he serious or casual?
Was he street smart or formally educated?
Was he politically minded or influential?
What was his personality like? What was his character like?
What was he like as a person?
Not long ago, New York Times bestselling author Susy Flory sat down and wrote a three-word post on a popular social media outlet that started with “Jesus was…” That simple post sparked a lively conversation and turned into one post a day for 30 days, each starting with the same two words “Jesus was…” This unexpected online conversation was thoughtful, remarkably civil, and sometimes surprising.
One comment appeared again and again: “Why is it Jesus was, instead of Jesus is?” The answer is here. Jesus Was: Not What We Expected but Better Than We Imagined is a collection of short pieces inspired by that unexpected, monthlong conversation about who Jesus was, along with what he said and did, while on earth.
The 31 essays collected by Susy and co-editor Scott Johanningsmeier were written by theologically minded ministers and storytellers who have hearts wide open for a hurting, polarized people of God amidst a culture of deconstruction and collective trauma. The essays offer discussions both gentle and potentially challenging, ranging from “Jesus was a listener” and “Jesus was humble” to “Jesus was non-violent” and “Jesus was subversive.” These short chapters and the discovery questions, penned by a group of diverse, smart, hardworking, passionate and caring scholars, are meant to be read through, discussed, and savored.
Stay tuned: The ministers and storytellers of Jesus Was will be sharing more about how this conversation started, along with contributing thought-provoking essays and stories here in this space. We hope you’ll join the conversation!
“Each of our contributing authors is passionate about the topics covered in this book, and it would be easy to fall into this all-too-common trap of (re-)creating Jesus the way we want to see him,” writes Scott. “Yet Susy and I challenged each of our contributors as they wrote to ground their ideas in the biblical text … As a result, they provided thought-provoking insights and the opportunities to dialogue with one another and with the biblical text. Approaching our gospel readings honestly and with open hearts provides each of us the opportunity to grow in our own understanding of who Jesus was.”
“In this book, we are raising our voices together in an effort to wash away all the unexamined dogma, inherited misconceptions, and inaccurate depictions that have built up in layers over the years,” Susy writes. “Jesus isn’t a stained-glass window or just some character in a story—he was a real person who lived and breathed, ate and slept, worked and played, laughed and cried. But everywhere he went, he changed people, culture, and history.”
“Wherever you are in your life,” adds Scott, “whether a dedicated Christian, someone who has walked away from faith, or someone who has never been involved in a life of faith—we challenge you to continue pursuing Jesus, asking questions about him, and seeking who he was.”
What questions do you have about Jesus? What would your brief “Jesus was _______” statement be? Leave us a comment and join the Jesus Was conversation. We’d love to hear what you have to say!
Jesus Was Editors
Susy Flory is a New York Times best-selling author or coauthor of eighteen books, directs West Coast Christian Writers, and is the founder of Everything Memoir. She has a background in journalism and education, earned a master's degree in New Testament at Northern Seminary and is continuing her doctoral studies on the theology of writing, along with women's authorship and writing collaboration in the ancient world. She lives in Northern California. Find out more at susyflory.com
Scott Johanningsmeier is a bivocational pastor at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Southern Indiana. He has a bachelor's degree in music technology from Indiana University and a master's degree in New Testament from Northern Seminary. Outside of ministry, he works in the technology installation industry. He and his wife have two daughters. Scott writes here.
This looks incredible! Can't wait to read it.
It's so hard to describe in a one-word answer (understandably). Do I describe Jesus's identity (God, Son of God, Savior of all humanity,The Way) or do I instead describe his attributes (loving, merciful, healing, restorative, passionate, etc....)? It will be interesting to read the collective wisdom from this group of authors and scholars.