8 lb. 6 oz. Baby Jesus

I've never seen a Will Ferrell movie but "Talladega Nights" has a great scene where Ricky Bobby says grace, praying to the 8 lb. 6 oz. baby Jesus.  He thanks baby Jesus for his wealth, for his smoking' hot wife, for his his two sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, and a myriad of other things.  His wife interrupts him to remind him that Jesus did grow up, but he's not having it.  The baby is the Jesus to whom Ricky Bobby prefers to pray.  By the way, if you would like to see this clip, go to "youtube 8lb 6oz Baby Jesus."

As, you know, I'm reading a few pages every day of Richard Rohr's book Divine Dancing.  In it he tackles defining the nature of the triune God.   Unlike Ricky Bobby, Rohr struggles with defining the nature of this God.  And he wants us to struggle with it as well.

A few weeks ago (and you might find this hard to believe) my minister, David Miller, showed the infamous "8 lb. 6 ox Baby Jesus" clip to the congregation prior to his sermon "Christ the King," in which he, too, was inviting us to struggle with the nature of God.

In the film clip Ricky Bobby's friend, Cal, says he likes to picture Jesus wearing one of those T shirt tuxedos.  Because he thinks it makes Jesus look "formal but ready to party."

In the Divine Dancing book Rohr says:

Trinity gradually becomes real for you as you honestly enter into the cycles and flow of life and death yourself...we have to grow up, which is largely learning how to live on the water wheel of giving and receiving love. 

So there's a clue.  Jesus grew up and we have to grow up.

On the other hand, when Ricky Bobby was in trouble he prayed:

Help me Jesus!  Help me Jewish God!  Help me Allah! Help me Tom Cruise!  Tom Cruise use your witchcraft on me to get the fire off me!  Help me Oprah Winfrey.

Ricky Bobby clearly needs to struggle a bit with his image of the incarnate God.


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