JESUS SURFED

It is interesting to know who do people think Jesus is, today. And there is one fascinating place to visit where we can know Jesus as conceived by the post-modern man. It is in the internet. Internet is a modern means that interconnects people through the computers, enabling communication to take place in a relatively fast and convenient way, though its use may be varied, not for conversation alone.[1] In the atmosphere of seeming absolute freedom in the internet, many people have express who Jesus is for them, without fear of being reprimanded by authorities.[2]

Within 0.17 second there are 823,000,000 results should one search for the word ‘Jesus’ through the internet. As in all other issues and personages, Jesus is received in the internet primarily by three groups, namely the pro (believers), the anti (non-believers) and the neutral (academe, and others who would prefer to observe neutrality).  

Jesus’s believers would always portrait and describe Him as their friend, brother, and Saviour. Carleton Houston says “Jesus is the center of my Life. Praise the Lord. [3]” Thank you Jesus for saving my life here on earth and for giving me ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN![4] Chukenweebop (user name only) speaks of Jesus as his guide “The Lord loves us too much to allow us to lose ourselves. We may make mistakes, but LOVE (Father God) will always bring us back. He loves us too much for that to happen. You'll never lose yourself as long as you're in Christ Jesus!!”[5] Jesus Loves Me.[6] Some of them, occasionally, engage with word wars against the non-believers, as rodmirasol (user name only) commented to an AVP by the Iglesia ni Cristo(INC)  “You(INC) are pity.... Victim of Big Bang Theory... But don’t you worry Our God Is God of Mercy and He look unto you and maybe someday your pea size brain will open and you know the truth..”[7]  From this random comments gathered from the internet, it is evident how personal and close Jesus had become for His followers, a personal God. One of them even calling Him as the center of his life.

Non-believers would see Jesus as a myth, a figure passé for long ago, and would even go further and mock Him. In Twitter, an anonymous user used the name Jesus (Jesus. Carpenter, Healer, God[8])  and mocks himself, as can be seen in this tweet “The crappy part about being in the trinity is that you have to buy your own Fathers Day presents... then act surprised after opening them.”[9] Cal Thomas of FoxNews wrote an article, published in the internet, regarding the mockery against Jesus. His opening lines states: Especially At Easter, It's Easy to Mock Jesus Christ But Don't You Dare Mock Other Faiths.[10]

Those who chose to stand on neutral grounds describe Jesus modestly. “Jesus also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity, whom a majority of Christian denominations believe to be the Son of God.”[11] “The incarnate Son of God and the redeemer of the human race.”[12]

The descriptions about Jesus in the internet are varied. Some see Him as their Saviour while other think he is a myth in this post-modern era, and some impassionate about Him. Through this simple survey of some posts, tweets, comments and blogs in the internet, it can be said that Jesus is seen today through many lenses, for various reasons, by different people, and in different places. In this sea of plurality and diversity, one thing remains to be unchanged, even in this post-modern era, even in internet, that is the timeless truth of Jesus relevance.

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[1] It's use range from commerce, national security, to sharing of photos, videos and ideas.

[2] Internet provides a space wherein a person can express himself without restraint. It makes the exercise of freedom possible in its absolute sense. This is due to the anonymity and secrecy of the user’s identity, in the context of internet. Thus, one is able to genuinely express his views towards a particular phenomenon, regardless of their status in the society. People then becomes fearless, more so truthful, in expressing their feelings and beliefs.

[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES96YsNtCHY

[4] http://www.intouch.org/you/all-things-are-new/content?topic=how_do_i_accept_jesus_as_my_savior_all_things

[5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_bxF0Sryqk&feature=related

[6] http://www.dltk-bible.com/jesus_loves_me.htm

[7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=becj-t98XKE

[8] https://twitter.com/jesus

[9] Ibid.

[10] http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/04/22/especially-easter-easy-mock-jesus-christ-dont-dare-mock-faiths/

[11] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus

[12] www.newadvent.org › Catholic Encyclopedia › Jesus