By Denise Crane

In doing more thinking about how we choose to evolve or entrench in our theological interpretations, I was speaking to a friend of mine who has been doing some work with women who are moving out of sex trafficking. As you may imagine, many of the stories are awful and the coping mechanisms for their experiences are as varied as the details of their stories.

Some have never heard a “good gospel.” Gospel means “good news” or “good story,” yet, for many people, the image of God they were given in that news or story was vengeful, hateful, toxic.

I am not telling you anything you do not already know. As I listen to the news in our country at this moment, I suspect that people who choose violence as the way they interpret what Jesus would do to people he didn’t agree with may have internalized their theology based on a God who is vengeful, hateful, toxic. It is a gospel message that doesn’t seem like good news except for a few. It causes me deep sadness and confusion. It is inconsistent with the Jesus I read in scripture.

Then my granddaughter came home from preschool with the story of a wee little “boy” in a tree. She couldn’t quite grab the name, but could show me the picture. I asked her if the person in the tree was Zacchaeus and she agreed that was the name. Then we talked about the word “wee” not necessarily meaning he was a boy, and that, in the story, he is actually a grown up who didn’t grow very tall. I opted not to mention that I doubt Jesus looked European or was followed around by a glowing cross, and instead encouraged her to keep telling what she remembered of the story.

Zacchaeus was “bad”
Then he climbed up in a tree to see Jesus
Then Jesus invited him to dinner
Then Zaccheaus was “good”
They had pizza for dinner

Because it is what I do, I started thinking of all the things I want to revisit with her about the good news in this story. Zacchaeus had made some self-absorbed choices to accumulate wealth at the expense of his fellowman. Zacchaeus was curious about an alternative example that Jesus showed. Jesus showed no indication that Zacchaeus should be punished for his poor choices, and, instead, invites him into relationship. Zacchaeus can choose a better path because he is open to seeing another path. His worldview shifts, his paradigm shifts, and he opens to new possibilities. Nothing vengeful, harmful, toxic.

For now, it makes me smile to think about sitting down with Jesus for pizza. It’s a really good start!