That’s show business

Easter time is coming soon and once again the Hollywood Jesus arises to life in the holy temples built in his name. Gaudy, overdone costume productions of his final days backed with overpowering music will obliterate the senses and common sense of the viewers into thinking that Show Business Christ is the authentic Christian faith. God will look down upon people not doing any work to help others but instead they’ll be sitting on their hindquarters, patting themselves on the back and watching the “Big Show.”

Now I know a few locals have some mighty big extravaganzas planned for Easter and I hate to burst their pride bubbles. Christianity, properly done, is not an outward act, but it is an inner motive endlessly revealed by your conduct and actions for others and unto others. Sitting in your church pew, nibbling some holy munchies, and watching a theatrical spectacular complete with special effects and 100-decibel music may please the Hollywood Jesus crowd, but I doubt it makes the real Jesus happy.

Modern-day holy-rollers have learned that the secret password to religious success is Jesus. Using that name gets you rich, famous, thrills, entertainment, and the hook to control the minds and pocketbooks of millions of people.

These counterfeit Christians make it their business to put on a grand show, a blockbuster about Jesus; these false prophets try to convince us honest folks that they have a “special relationship” with God. And in doing so they have turned worship into a racket—a profitable one and a noisy one as well. But, hey, that’s show business.

Folks need to be more interested in what goes on outside the church than inside it. Real religion works in the real world, not on a stage. JEROME TIDMORE

Little Rock