Two justice-campaigning Lutheran ministers have launched an online advent resource with a title and tone which many Christians might find problematic. Baltimore-based Jason Chesnut and California-based Tuhina Verma Rasche have joined forces to create "F*** This S***", a very 'alternative' devotional for the advent period. Driven by their shock and dismay at recent world events, the pair have chosen to use language not usually associated with pastors or their Bible, in order to create an unsettling connection with the divine pursuit of justice.
Although many readers won't make it past the title, Chesnut and Rasche insist they're not trying to shock people or be unnecessarily 'cool', but merely using language that is appropriate for the level of lament and righteous anger many are feeling at the current state of the world. The free resource takes users through a 28-day series of readings, starting on November 27th and running through until Christmas eve, and is designed to inspire creative collaboration through social media. The link to download the readings is here (although it comes with a language warning, obviously), while those taking part will be asked to follow along using the suitably unprintable Twitter hashtag.
In a post on Medium.com, Chesnut explains that "to convey a visceral gospel, we must sometimes use visceral language". He says that the devotional isn't meant to offend, but rather to "tap into the real pain and anguish named by the Biblical prophets in their cry for justice – a central theme in advent, a traditional liturgical time focused on a visceral yearning for the Christ child to come again into our messy and messed-up lives."
In a companion piece on the same site, Rasche talks of her deep despair at the recent spate of police shootings involving black men in America, and the desire to find appropriate language of lament. She argues: "communicating such a deep emotion cannot be accompanied by flowery and polite language; if anything the language that accompanies such emotions communicates a rawness and a sense of being both literally and figuratively torn open. There is a desire for God to rend the heavens, to have things torn open to enter into the world."
Chesnut and Rasche want the devotional to inspire users to contribute to an ongoing conversation with further writing, artwork, music and more. And while they're bound to cause all kinds of offence as a result, they hope that as Chesnut puts it, it will "translate the Good News of Jesus" to today's culture." He continues: "I am convinced that to reach people with the radical love of God, we need to employ somewhat radical methods. This devotional aims to stay true to the life-giving Holy Spirit by recognising the presence of God in the death-dealing realities in which we live, breathe and have our being."
A "PG-rated" version of the devotional, entitled 'Rend the Heavens', is available here.
Martin Saunders is a Contributing Editor for Christian Today and the Deputy CEO of Youthscape. Follow him on Twitter @martinsaunders.
