Ted Kennedy, Redemption, Jesus and John Wayne

Ted Kennedy, Redemption, Jesus and John Wayne

Mention the name of the late Senator Edward Kennedy and the chances are that what springs to mind is Chappaquiddick and the death of a young girl, Mary Jo Kopechne, in July, 1969.

Kennedy was a married man, and the much younger Mary Jo was not his wife.

They were in his car together when it careered off a bridge and into the water.

She drowned, he survived, and many held him responsible.

He had brought shame and disgrace upon himself and his family. The Kennedy flame, that burned so brightly in 1960, seemed to die in that last year of the decade.

Yet, somehow Kennedy worked through the shame to achieve more in the next 40 years than his more illustrious brothers.

When he died in 2009, he had served 47 years as a Senator. He had come from a wealthy background but devoted his political life to social justice and helping those on society’s bottom rung.

But human nature to never forget wrongdoing is such that the shame of July, 1969, ensured his bid to enter the 1980 Presidential race was destined to fail.

It was the end of Camelot when he lost the nomination to Jimmy Carter.

But in accepting defeat, he gave an indication in a memorable speech that he would continue with his liberal crusade when he said: “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

It was not an idle promise, and so successful was he that he became known as “The Lion of the Senate”.

Teddy Kennedy’s brothers died while still in the glow of global respect, while his “sins” were played out fully in the public glare. His brothers were Gods, while he had feet of clay.

In many of our church graveyards, you’ll find headstones with a simple one-word inscription; “Redeemed”.

It refers to the principle of redemption for the person of faith who has received forgiveness for their sins.

Christian culture accepts this as a matter of course for someone who has passed; but what about those of us in this life who have made mistakes, even major ones?

Can they admit and regret their wrongdoing, move on and somehow do good in this life?

Edward Kennedy was the consummate politician. A wonderful orator, a man with a zeal for the public service of helping others, and someone who was liked and respected by opponents and friends alike.

If society forever judges and defines people by their past mistakes, can anybody ever make amends and move on?

The slogan ‘Jesus. Guns. Babies.’ shows a corruption of faith

A book published in the United States with the intriguing title, ‘Jesus and John Wayne’, examines the development over the past 75 years of the evangelical Christian movement in America.

The writer, Kristin Kobes du Mez, took the title from a southern gospel song which includes the lyrics, “Daddy was a cowboy, hard as a rock; Momma, she was quiet as a prayer” showing how conflicted people are about the examples of faith around them.

There’s a tendency for the human mind to adapt their concept of God to their own limited imagination and culture.

Indeed, to focus too much on the example of others when often those others are not only fallible but struggling themselves with their fallibility, as that song also says: “I try to be more like you Lord, but most days I ain’t.”

Considering the influence of television evangelists on white America, du Mez suggests that there has been an increasing trend to look for secular heroes such as warriors, soldiers or cowboys, rugged men who can supposedly bring order to an uncertain world.

And society then adapts human role models to suit their image of what Jesus is.

Hence, the John Wayne link – a patriarchal figure of toxic masculinity supposedly uncowed by political correctness which has resulted in the evangelical movement today supporting slogans such as “Jesus, guns, babies”.

It seems a far cry from the gentle Jesus which many Christians espouse, and du Mez claims it is a corruption of faith, and argues it is in conflict with the image of the Christ whose expression of love is manifest this week by dying on the Cross to save all humanity.

This Holy Week is a reminder for Christians of that sacrifice and to think of the character traits of the ultimate role model.

A Jesus of humility, empathy, compassion and gentleness who commanded His followers to love one another, to “encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone”.

A merciful God of grace and forgiveness who, far from showing a superiority and coldness to our brothers and sisters, believed: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one.”

One who did not exclude anybody and whose power is greater than any mind can perceive, even the power over death as embodied in the Resurrection.

This Easter, who should Christians uphold as their role model in life?