Whatever Happened to WWJD?

Some years ago it got real popular in Christian circles to wear a WWJD bracelet around. “What would Jesus do?” The bracelet was supposed to remind us to think of that. Then comedians got hold of that concept and twisted it all sorts of ways. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that read in big letters, WWND. Then in little letters is said, “What would Nixon do?” I saw another one that read WWJB. The little letters said, “Who would Jesus bomb?”

But another take on WWJD came to me while I was working at the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. The director of the Evangelical Environmental network called me and asked if I would sign a petition entitled, “WWJD: What would Jesus drive?” I signed it.

You see, I believe that the WWJD movement gushed out of someone’s conviction that the Resurrection should have an impact in the real world that God so loves. Once again, if the Resurrection happened, then who Jesus was, what he said about himself and what he taught was validated as the norm by which his followers make all their decisions. That would include the vehicles we decide to drive. That would include the TV shows we watch, the books we buy, the websites we visit, and the people we spend time with. We would use the WWJD standard to assess statements and policies put forth by politicians and political parties. We would use WWJD to guide how we construct a budget at church and how we regard the people we come in contact with both when we frequent the church building and when we’re in our offices, pick-up trucks, or sports facilities. Or when we listen to the debate on immigration. Or whether our nation ought to invade Iran. WWJD?

Maybe that’s why WWJD faded. It’s awfully demanding. It runs us head-on into the prevailing culture, socially and politically. And we haven’t really been convinced that the more we’d apply it, the more joyful we’d be; and fulfilled; and at one with ourselves and the Creation.

For this Easter, let’s revive it. WWJD