Shakespeare

At first it may seem odd to include a poet and playwright from the 15th/16th century, considered by many to be the greatest writer of the English language, and whose english is sometimes barely recognizable to our current english, in a series on pop culture! But consider for a moment the impact of his writings and their influence today. How many contemporary stories are based on his stories, how many modern phrases and figures of speech are traced to Shakespeare? Perhaps the greatest argument for including him in a discussion of pop culture is that almost every person who has attended high school in modern western society has had to study his work. Whether that was the beginning of a passion and love for literature and theatre, a cause for sleepless nights and nightmares or distaste and mockery, no one can deny the impact that Shakespeare continues to have on popular culture. Every year english classes and drama clubs in high schools around the world will try their hand at Shakespeare. Some will do great, others just fine and still again others will massacre a Shakespearian classic. They will not come close to representing the true depth of Shakespeare, nor can we judge the playwright solely on how well a high school student communicates his work. And yet no actor or scholar I know would argue that we should take Shakespeare out of schools because they don’t give a clear enough picture of his true genius.
I think that in some ways the church is like those high school english classes as they fumble through Shakespeare. We are left with the task of representing our master Jesus. The reality, however, is that even at our best, we will never really be able to give a true picture of the depth of Jesus’ love, compassion and greatness etc. The church after all is a hospital for sinners not a museum of saints. We will get it wrong, make huge mistakes, and at times do a poor job of representing Jesus. But just like we don’t take Shakespeare out of schools, we the church must keep trying, keep learning and keep growing. I would also add, to those who are not followers of Jesus, that if what you think and how you respond to Jesus is based solely on what you have seen from his followers, then please take a closer look. Grab a bible and read a gospel for a start. Take a closer look at Jesus himself before you make any final conclusions. Just like we would not judge Shakespeare solely on a high school english class, don’t let the mistakes of the church be an excuse not to take a closer look at Jesus himself.